[legoman]

When I arrived in the US I subscribed to Stereophile because it was the only US HiFi magazine I had heard about before and because it was dirt cheap (can't beat <11 bucks a year or whatever the student rate was).

Now I get mailings from Absolute Sound, Listener Magazine etc. in the mail once in a while but I haven't really been able to form an impression about the characteristics as well as pros/cons of various magazines. I know I bought some mag at Borders once, I forgot the name, but that sucked big time.

So, any opinions / information are appreciated. And do not just praise your favorite mag, remember to call some other mag 'crap'. Otherwise nobody will care about this thread

Legoman

 

[KR...]

I tried Listener Magazine once. Most of the magazine was about the reviewer's personal lives. At the end of the mag towards to the back, they slap together some quick small reviews. In other words, it was a POS.

 

[MacDEF]

LOL, lego

I subscribe to Stereophile. While I have seen negative reviews, overall the reviews are varying degrees of positive. That said, I don't really believe that advertising plays a role in their reviews, as some have suggested. Some of their most negative reviews have been about products that are heavily advertised.

Given their positive review bias, I pay much more attention to the Recommended Components issues than normal issues. Given that many of their reviews are positive, for the RC issues they still have to pick what they think are the "best" out of all the components they've reviewed -- so if something makes RC, it's generally going to be better than other things. It's a good place to get ideas (I'll then go read full reviews, and try to audition).

The other thing about Stereophile is that their "Letters" section is worth the price of the subscription alone! Simply hilarious, some of the back-and-forth that goes on there.

Finally, Stereophile is one of the few places where you get to see LOTS of high-end advertisements.

 

[KR...]

That's true MacDEF,

The letters are the best part of the magazine, I have been brought to tears many of time while reading them. Plus, the mag is dirt cheap if you get a sub.

 

[KurtW]

Stereophile backs up most of their reviews with detailed measurements, which make them interesting to me. Also Sam Tellig's column is usually great. I also like their music reviews, so for the price it's a great rag.

I also like listener but they don't have as much content so it can be hit or miss. They have a bias against high price equipment and like poking fun at everything. They often do group reviews which is informative...this month it's on subwoofers. It starts out saying why they never thought the would like them. They also review a classic that can be bought used. They like SET amps and vinyl (but not exclusively), so if this bothers you, then skip Listener.

Absolute Sound seems to take everything too seriously, especially themselves. They don't try to hide the fact that they hate Stereophile. I don't care for their attitude so I only buy an issue at the store once in a great while.

 

[dngl]

Stereophile is pretty cool even though they love everything: their editorials, letters, and R2D4 sections are great.

Listener is crap. Fun to read, but no real information. The articles are also formulaic.

TAS annoys me because they don't listen to music. They listen to equipment.

I read soundstage 'cause it's free and pretty unbiased.

 

[Tomcat]

Literally decades ago, I have been an avid TAS reader. I definitely shared their anti-CD position. Recently, I have found some very interesting articles in the on-line archives of Stereophile, but I have never bought an issue.

I think the on-line archives of UHF magazine are quite interesting as well. I know it's Canadian, but I am curious what you North American readers think about it. BTW, do you native speakers see big differences between American and British magazines' attitudes?

 

[dngl]

Yes. There is a huge difference in the tone of writing English between the Americans and the British. The British almost always are more serious with a dry wit, while Americans have a "stupider" sense of humor.

 

[Tomcat]

Must be your dry wit or my special and endearing brand of Germanglish, Jon.

What I wanted to know is this: do you guys - intimately familiar with the Anglo-American hifi press - see differences in their approaches. Do they like different things? Is there an ocean between them?

 

[dngl]

I find that UK mags swear by vinyl and tubes nearly exclusively, whereas US mags are more open to new technology

 

[Tomcat]

Jon, you say: the British are more civilized?

Thanks for your answer!

 

[legoman]

Despite all the inherent flaws (and contradiction with the Stereophile philosophy), what I miss most are comparison tests of various components in the same price range, as well as the test/description of whole systems put together from components from different brands that work together well (I guess that is "system synergy" in audiophile speak).

 

[dngl]

Brits more civilized? Oh yeah. I would love to move to England and pick up a beautiful accent. Have you ever talked to someone in the London Academy of Music/Dramatic Arts (LAMDA)? I talked to an old lady who went there and her voice was the most beautiful voice I have ever heard...