I did look over four or five of Tim’s reviews and can say this: He’s a good audio writer. If he’s not now working regularly for a publication, online or print, it’s too bad for all of us.
Though I’ve already acknowledged that a need for more comparisons in my own reviews is a valid criticism, my sense from reading Tim’s stuff is that the practice is overrated. In those reviews of Tim’s I read, he typically notes one other product, usually the one in the class he already owns or has recently reviewed. This scans well—every Soundstage! Review has "comparisons"—but I’m not so sure how helpful it actually is to a prospective purchaser, as there are likely a dozen candidates that he or she is considering, and Tim’s comparison product may not be among them. From my point of view, it’s more helpful to use the language of subjective audio reviewing and comparisons to live music to define the character of the gear being considered. We are just hoping to help a reader develop a short list of products to audition in the flesh, if that’s at all possible.
This is my opinion, and I’m not saying it’s my way or the highway. Now that we’re on a first-name basis, Tim, maybe we can agree to disagree without personal invective or the broad-brush dismissals of writers (like Jonathan) who have been at this a while, or publications that may just occasionally have something helpful to offer to audiophiles of all stripes.
