Does the Audio press ever excite you anymore?

I read Stereophile and TAS and enjoy them both. The review of the Estelon xb Diamond Mk II review in Stereophile was interesting and even exciting. I may do a major speaker upgrade in the next couple years and the Estelon would be on the short list. In general I appreciate the work of professional reviewers because they do a detailed examination of the component and they report on features, usability, and SQ. They also have a reputation to protect so they do not make stupid hater comments like the self appointed audio experts on forums.

@curiousjim The mainstream press (Stereophile, TAS) has been clear about their review policy. They simply don't seek out bad components for review. They feel it is wasted space and doesn't serve their reader's interest. But if you read them carefully you will find bad reviews. I've seen pretty negative reviews for PS Audio and B&W for example - two major advertisers. The other factor is that the SQ of modern stereo gear has become much more consistent over the last couple decades and it is hard to find a component that truly sounds bad. Digital gear is the best example. ABX testing has shown that golden ear listeners can't tell one DAC from another if they don't know the brand and see the component. The dramatic superlatives that forum members report on their latest purchase tend to disappear under blind listening conditions. Even professional reviewers are beginning to admit this.

My last point is that I find professional reviews useful because I don't/can't audition new gear in my system before I buy it. I would love to hear a pair of MBL 101 E Mk II speakers in my system but that is simply not practical. Most of the gear I buy is used or mail order (I live in a small rural community that is hours or days from any audio dealers) so I try to learn everything I can before making a purchase. I find that the best information comes from the professional audio press and audio shows (I've been to three). I have found that the least useful information to be on forums populated by people who's main interest seems to be justifying their latest purchase.

Hi @8th-note,

 I’m glad you mentioned PS Audio as I was looking at getting a pair of their mono blocks. If you can remember where you read those bad reports, would you DM me?

It would be most helpful.

Jim

Did they ever?

I'm always skeptical of the great new thing.

I am still getting over the schilling by AS of MQA years ago. Told me that their character had changed. Seemed like ideological capture. I definitely read both AS and Stereophile with a grain of salt. I often disagree with the writers on what they hear.

Interesting how the PS Audio DAC got such a seemingly bad review a few months ago, yet ended up a Class A rated DAC in the newest issue Oct. 2023...not sure if the mags have really changed, or just losing interest in them after a few decades...