[Tuberoller]

I read that email in disbelief.the current issue of Listener Magazine is the last.this was far and away my favorite audio magazine.I had a chance to meet Art Dudley(Listener's Editor) and talk with him.We talked on the phone and communicated via email a few times and almost never talked about audio related topics.He never said anything about this and I never thought it would happen.I hate to see this kind of thing happen.All the really good mags are gone now.

This all comes on the heels of my finding out that two audio manufacturers and a local dealer are going out of business as well.I don't know what this all means but I am discouraged mightily.I hope things are reallly not as bad as they appear.

 

[pigmode]

Yeah, its a real bummer. Actually, the word has been out for a couple of weeks now.

 

[eric343]

Sad, isn't it?
I've only ever read one issue of Listener (given to me by my local Arcam dealer - are all of you as nice as this?

) but it's definitely my favorite. Especially that nice small format and the CREATIVITY and HUMOR!!! that went into that mag... Convenient to hide-err, read...

 

[smokey]

If it is any consolation, according to a post on AA, Art will be joining Stereopile as a contributor. The post was made by John Atkinson, so I think there may be some truth to this. However, considering lead times I would guess that he actually wouldn't show up for another few issues.

The economy sure is tough right now. I would think with the markets down, and the current emphasis on HT, a lot of high end and fringe Hi-Fi folks would be in real trouble.

 

[kelly]

Are the manufacturers that are going under public yet?

The American market is, I think, still going through a transition from 2 channel audio to home theater. I think there's still a lot of growth to happen here before that levels out and when it does, the market will be large enough to support a niche of people who actually care a lot about the sound. (Let's face it, your average home theater purchaser currently believes he can get everything he'd possibly want at Best Buy.)

A couple of companies seem to be a little ahead of this curve. I think Classe is one of them and is putting out home theater stuff that actually sounds good. Martin Logan is another.

Of course when a recession hits during a transition period for products, it's bad all over. The last ten years have seen pretty big declines in high end audio, but throw the stock market crash and unemployment rates on top of it and there's not much left to fight over.

We'll come out on the other side of this, though, and when we do, I think we'll have both good products and good magazines (well, as good as they get anyway) in 2-channel, home theater AND headphones.

 

[carlo]

things aren't all that bad, while greenspan sits on his throne above the money pile and says its okay to spend it, reality is that there's a lot of issues at play here and we have a war time economy... we all know its cyclic. personally i'm not too worried about it all.

as for listener, the costs for a relatively small circulation print magazine can be hard in today's age. don't fret, a few of the names you know and love will be popping up with mags or online zines soon enough.

best,
carlo.

 

[DarkAngel]

Fortunately as the print mags dwindle there are great new internet sites appearing. Check this site out:
Six Moons

Only been up for a couple months, but these are top notch insightful reviews. Look at some current reviews:
-Headroom MOH
-AKG K1000
Be sure and check the archives. Great site!

Add this to the other great audiophile review sites:
stereotimes.com
soundstage.com
enjoythemusic.com
positive-feedback.com

 

[DanG]

While I can't say I'm happy that the jobs that Listener provided are now lost, I was never a fan of the magazine. I got an offer for a trial issue and accepted. When I got the magazine and started reading, I thought it was the least-professional and most ridiculously written audio magazine I had ever read. Although Stereophile usually comes across as quite arrogant so often, I preferred it to the bad grammar and poor analogies that I found in Listener. I canceled my subscription that day.

Maybe the problem is that the people who are interested in reading reviews of lower-end equipment aren't the people that are going to want to shell out the cash for a $4-an-issue magazine? Just a guess.

 

[eric343]

Hmm... I would hardly call the $3500 Linn unipivot tonearm "lower-end"...

 

[DanG]

I guess I just didn't see the higher-end stuff then. But I haven't seen other magazines pay so much attention to lower-end equipment... I only wish that when Listener was reviewing that gear that they would write a little more seriously and not write "down" to the reader.

 

[Tuberoller]

Quote:

Originally posted by DanG I guess I just didn't see the higher-end stuff then. But I haven't seen other magazines pay so much attention to lower-end equipment... I only wish that when Listener was reviewing that gear that they would write a little more seriously and not write "down" to the reader.

Ouch!!

Dan,you come to this conclusion after reading what, 1 issue?.I thought the writing in Listener was fine and they often reviewed very expensive gear.The loss of Listener is a very important one,especially to analog and tube lovers.Most of the reviews of this type of gear were done by mags like Listener.I liked it and thought it was a good mag.

 

[DanG]

It must just have rubbed off on me that way -- maybe it's just not my style. But let me read you a few lines from some reviews (Jan/Feb 2002 issue):

(From review of NAD C521 CD player by Herb Reichert)
"Did you ever meet one of those people who keep their desks real neat and organized? You know what I mean? Like, all their pens and paper clips are put away..."

"[The C521], like, shines everything up and then lines it up on the shelf. Usually, budget CD players are anything but uptight and anal. How does this one keep my kind of music from spilling paint and ketchup and bourbon on my trousers?"

Hm, interesting... now that I read other reviews they seem to be adequately written. I guess I really was just turned off by that first review I started reading. Oh well, I'm sorry I judged so fast. Seems to be my trademark these days

Must be that I'm moving back to college tomorrow.

Heh, I guess that just goes to show what editing can accomplish.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I need a bunny.

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dusty Chalk I need a bunny.

(She wasn't a bunny, but she was in the magazine. Sorry, short notice.)

 

[acidtripwow]

Listener was a good magazine but I must admit I didn't really like the writing. Sometimes after reading some of their articles I would just scratch my head and wonder what the heck they were talking about.

I did like the letters and bunnies. Kelly, you pervert.