Stereophile's refusal to review more low


I have read countless letters to the editor pleading for more reviews of real world priced equipment. So far they have not responded in any meaningfull way. I wonder why they continue to run these letters if they are so focused on the mega buck stuff. What do you think ?
stokjoc

Showing 5 responses by rayhall

It is fairly evident that Stereophile has little interest in supporting the audio industry as a whole and favors the large audio "conglomerates" who advertise heavily with them like Krell, Madrigal etc. These "conglomerates" tend to rely on the magazine for corroboration that their overpriced equipment is worth the price. High prices results in lots of advertising which results in favorable reviews which results in high sales. It now seems that Madrigal has a review in each issue! Yet, other stuff which has been generally recognized to be at the top of the list never gets reviewed by Stereophile. Ever notice how the cover page looks more and more like an ad for whatever is in the issue? They have just about lost all credibility. The only reason that I continue with my subscription is that they are one of the few (if only) which measures the equipment.
My point is I think that they review whatever the big manufacturers that support them with much of their advertising revenue want them to. Proceed, for example, is part of Madrigal, which includes Levinson,Revel and even JBL. Companies with that much money to spend have essentially bought Stereophile and will get pretty much whatever they want in terms of the treatment of their products in reviews. So, if its expensive products which the manufacturers need to be reviewed, they will. If its budget or mid-fi products which the manufacturers need reviewed, that is possible too. Just spend the required advertising dollars with Stereophile. By the way, I have no problem with BMW ads either. BMW is not in the audio business. Although it is interesting that they did review the Mark Levinson sound system in the latest Lexus in the current issue. They had much more to say about the car and precious little to say about the sound system. So, maybe there is some new advertising/review angle which they intend to exploit here.
Let me be clear in saying that I have no personal knowledge that certain large manufacturers and importers who spend lots of money on ads at Stereophile and their other audio publications have greater access in getting their products reviewed in those publications. However, I have learned that when things look amiss, they usually are. I count that in 6 of the last 7 Sterophile issues (I cannot find the May issue right now), 4 Harman products have been reviewed. Meanwhile products from Merlin or Aesthetix, for example to my knowledge have never been reviewed. I don't own products from either manufacturer nor do I have any relationship with either or any other manufacturer, but I know the Merlin VSM in all its incarnations (it has been around a while) is at least a very credible product. Many consider the Aesthetix Io the top phono preamp currently made. Why hasn't either been reviewed? The Recommended Components would be even a better example. If the Merlin and Aesthetix are not even mentioned, should we consider it to be not even a Class D component in Stereophile's estimation? As far as reviewers demonstrating integrity and protecting their reputation, we have all heard the stories about the "intermingling" as BMP call it where the reviewers are given price breaks on equipment. As far as how what is to be reviewed is selected, I am sure it is not as haphazard a selection process as Mr. Fremer suggests. Sometimes he gets to it first, sometimes others beat him to it! I am sure that the editor, for the most part, hands out reviewing assignments and that the editor is deciding what will get reviewed and for what issue. After all, that is an editor's job. Whether much is made explicit between advertiser, reviewer and editor is irrelevant. It doesn't have to be explicit for there to be behavior which jeopardizes the integrity of the magazine. As far as negative comments about manufacturers, BMP, I rarely see them. Certainly, one never sees anything that is absolutely clear like: "In my opinion, product A is better than product B". Generally any statements of comparison are marvels of verbal obfuscation and equivocation. Now I am sure that there are reviewers who see the conflict of interest between accepting manufacturers gifts and reviewing the manufacturers products. We just need to know that none of the other type of reviewer works for Stereophile! Now it is interesting that BMPNYC attacks me as having a vivid imagination and suggests that I am one who lacks integrity. He doesn't know me and therefore would be on shaky ground to presume anything about me. I do know that he and Michael Fremer are good buddies. I must say that it was an interesting form of damage control engaged in here: to have Mr. Butler attack me personally while Mr. Fremer takes a much softer tack in defending his magazine. Would there be a strategy there, guys? Anyway, sorry Stokjoc for taking over your thread. In my opinion, it is not so much about expensive or cheap equipment. It's about which manufacturer's equipment gets reviewed. I leave it to others to look at all the info and to make up their own mind.
I think that those who think it is too much to expect integrity from Stereophile and others who would make delivery of advertising revenue a pre-condition for a review in the magazine help to lower standards for all institutions. If we think that any for-profit enterprise is incapable of integrity, then it follows that most of our institutions in the U.S. are rotten. Is the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal inherently lacking in integrity simply because they accept advertising? Would they know the dangers of having the editorial department "report" to the advertising department? Do the publishers of these papers set up checks and balances in their operations in order to prevent the kind of problem in which Stereophile appears to gleefully engage? Do these papers know the importance of protecting something intangible such as their "name" or reputation, since without it, their tangible assets might eventually disappear? If we have heard the stories that if you don't advertise with Stereophile, you can forget about getting a review, can we envision the possibility that those five or six companies who comprise a very significant part of the advertising revenue have access to what gets reviewed and to what is said in those reviews, even if their control as to what is said is by tacit understanding only? If what we have "heard" about Stereophile's dealings seems plausible, even likely, and we can project on to that additional "misdeeds" which are likely to have occurred and which would further jeopardize the integrity of the magazine, why do we bother to read it and why do we care at all about what is inside? (As well as you, I am asking myself this last question)
Dekay: I too, have worked for many large companies. I am a data processing consultant and have seen the inside of many NYC Fortune 500 financial firms and I must agree with you: Integrity is low and fading rapidly. My point is that if you tolerate the low and rapidly fading integrity in all its forms, big and small, you will only accelerate it. I certainly don't take any Stereophile information for granted, as my posts on this thread should clearly demonstrate. I don't think in the greater scheme of things that a little audiophile magazine which might be sliming its reputation and, at the same time, insulting its readers' collective intelligence is my most compelling example of the moral crisis which exists, but if you love audio, as I know you do, and you read Stereophile, which you appear to, it would seem to me that you would have to care on some level that that which you read have some validity, utility and truthfulness. It is clear to me that the readers, by voting no, in other words, not buying Stereophile, are the only one's who can save it now, if half of what we hear about it is true. Why then, do you (and I, for that matter) continue to subscribe, read or give Stereophile any concern or credit? This question is rhetorical of course and doesn't require any answer. My previous post is not meant to attack you, as I think you have misperceived, but was meant to point out the incongruity of my, and perhaps your, actions given the disrespect that Stereophile is probably showing us by how it operates. Anyway, I could talk about these issues forever, and you'd all be bored. But if we can't trust anyone, we don't have a world. And when trust is broken on the micro level rather than the macro level, it is actually more destructive to the society as a whole and us, individually. It is more important that you can trust your doctor, your wife, your friends to serve your interest sometimes even at the expense of theirs than the president of the U.S or the chairman of Citibank. Not that my relationship with Stereophile resembles anything like my relationship with a wife or friend, but it is more personal than what I expect from the President or the chairman of Citibank. I rather expect the President and the corporate types to betray me if it is in their interest. Hope this isn't too idealist for you to relate.