Meier Audio - Corda : What happened? No one interested?
Jul 18, 2005 at 2:24 AM Post #106 of 128
Quote:

Originally Posted by adhoc
plus, imo, when you reach a certain level, wouldnt it all boil down to individual taste? i can say for certain that, all things constant, if amp A lets me hear more detail than amp B, amp A is better. but what if both amps let hear one the same amount of detail with amp A having a slant towards a 'luscious' sound and amp B having a more 'clean' sound? not so easy now is it? just as one man's 'shouty' is another's 'rich', one man's 'clean' can be another's 'sterile'.


That's why I think it's important for reviewers to be clear about what they the pros AND cons are for anything they review. For example, I really like the Senn HD595s, but in my recent review, I talked almost as much about things that I don't think they don't do well as I did things they do well. I think, for some people, the HD595s are not a good choice, and for some people they are. Same goes for Grados or other Senns--they aren't my choice, but I see why people like them. I think what good reviews do is allow you to match your preferences to the equipment.

There are, of course, lots of bad, one-sided reviews. While in an ideal world there wouldn't be, I also don't think it's appropriate to give anyone the authority to pick and choose which reviews make it and which don't. I think it is, to some extent, the responsibility of readers to sort out how to interpret reviews. I know I take more seriously the opinions of people who tend to like the same equipment I like and who i have seen be more balanced.

Quote:

writer in magazines (ideally) have a 'reference' rig and as mentioned above 'long-term' experience with equipment PLUS no vested interest in the equipment.


I have to disagree with the notion that magazine reviewers have no vested interest. I've never seen any stereo magazine seriously pan any product which heavily advertises in that magazine, and I don't think that's a coincidence.

Second, the "reference" systems possessed by many magazine reviewers are so far beyond the pale of what I would spend on audio equipment that I don't find them useful, because what might be a reasonable point along the diminishing returns curve for them is so far out of whack with what it is for me that I don't find their opinions all that meaningful. (Example: The Wadia CD player Tyll is lugging around to the meets is indeed fantastic, but a review in an audio magazine of it in comparison to other players in its price range would be utterly meaningless to me--I can barely imagine justifying spending four figures, much less five, on a CDP.)

That's one of the key values of a forum like this one: many of the people here are more or less normal people (at least in terms of budget
tongue.gif
).

Quote:

in other words, a magazine is a 'fixed' format. an author can disseminate his views without fear of (much) direct reprisal/rebuttal.


Which also means they have extremely limited accountability. Remember, their job is to sell magazines and keep the advertising dollars rolling in.

Quote:

in addition, what i see often around here are 'snap' judgements of equipment - not impressions after 'live-in'.


I've seen those in magazines as well, or at least reviews with extremely limited "live in."

Quote:

a newbie here can and will get confused if a review with a strong opinion is followed up by 50+ posts by offended fanboys who may be articulate enough to sound deceptively reasonable.


Maybe this isn't what you meant to say, but you seem to be implying "newbie=stupid." You know, when I first got here I didn't know that much about the options available, but I certainly understood people well enough to recognize this kind of behavior when I saw it. Even newbies can think for themselves.

Quote:

finally, members are very unlikely to pan equipment, especially if they wish to sell it later on. a simple, but very powerful point imo.


Now here I think you're on to something.

Though I have noticed that on many "for sale" threads they explain why they're selling, which around here seems as often as not to be upgrades--they're selling X because they bought Y which cost twice as much.


OK, now off-topic:

Quote:

imo like marriages, amps have a honeymoon period too where everything is hunky-dory and the milk and honey flow fast and thick, but give it 6 months and we all know what happens.


[rant]
What is it about Head-Fi that such a large percentage of the people here are so down on marriage? I hate to break it to you, but some of us are indeed mature enough to get along with our spouses without these issues, and without sneaking around behind our spouse's back or other such nonsense. (In fact, I've been considering what I think is a pretty substantial purchase and I've been balking at the price tag--and my wife is encouraging me to go ahead and do it "because I know you'll enjoy having it.") So can we please knock off the marriage-bashing?
[/rant]
rolleyes.gif
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 3:01 AM Post #107 of 128
1. Great post by Jan. Seriously, folks, he's a pleasure to deal with (but you do have to provide your own power cord).

2. Sunbyrne, I don't get the same anti-marriage vibe on the boards as you -- maybe folks are just jealous of your hobby-supportive wife?

3. I bought a CORDA w/o an audition. Hardly living dangerous with Jan's service and 30 guarantee. I also knew, from reading up around the fora, that F/S CORDAs don't stay on the marketplace fora for long.
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 4:06 AM Post #108 of 128
Quote:

Originally Posted by SunByrne
I have to disagree with the notion that magazine reviewers have no vested interest. I've never seen any stereo magazine seriously pan any product which heavily advertises in that magazine, and I don't think that's a coincidence.


Exactly. Read High and Mighty: The Dangerous Rise of the SUV by Keith Bradsher, the former Detroit bureau chief for the New York Times. There's a section where he describes exactly how automobile manufacturers woo journalists with luxury vacations and other free goodies in order to get the rave reviews. It's quite amusing to read Bradher's description; the facts are objective, but his delivery fails to hide his contempt for his fellow journalists who give into the temptations.

Then read just about any Sam Tellig review in Stereophile. About 75% of the article will be describing his visit to some speaker manufacturer in France or Italy. What wine he drank, what food he ate, what a good guy the president of the speaker company is, and so forth. Then he inevitably concludes with a quick declaration that the speakers are the best he's ever heard, yada yada yada. Right.
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 11:06 AM Post #109 of 128
Quote:

Originally Posted by SunByrne
I have to disagree with the notion that magazine reviewers have no vested interest. I've never seen any stereo magazine seriously pan any product which heavily advertises in that magazine, and I don't think that's a coincidence.


When most of the times this iis true, I have seen cases (and know of cases) in which simply the magazine editors are really curious about a particular product, and contact the manufacturer themselves to review it, there is not always a paid ad interest behind that. BTW and FYI to get an add in a paper, or an online magazine, is not that easy nowadays, sometimes the waiting lists to get an spot is huge, and they even suggest to try other methods, and I know that for personal experience in this field, I have contacted a few magazines to advertise, and you have to be in line for months, before you get a decent spont in the good pages....And some others not even answer you....

OTOH consider that the professional reviewers get paid to review, they do not care wich item they are reviewing, and if they like it, they will tell you, and if not they will say so, (or simply will return the item and you will never know, yes, that happen also, that is why is so weird to see a bad review of a product, most of the times when a product is not worth of a review they simply deline to do so and you will never know)..... but in any case their check will be in the mail next friday anyway, they have no interest at all on these products.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adhoc
imo, there is danger inherent in using 'amateurs' to review kit. having just woken up, i'm having a little bit of difficulty articulating myself clearly currently......
......there are very very very few members here that can claim to have enough long-term experience with equipment to make them a 'valid' reviewer (ie take into account new-toy syndrome). plus, imo, when you reach a certain level, wouldnt it all boil down to individual taste? i can say for certain that, all things constant, if amp A lets me hear more detail than amp B, amp A is better. but what if both amps let hear one the same amount of detail with amp A having a slant towards a 'luscious' sound and amp B having a more 'clean' sound? not so easy now is it? just as one man's 'shouty' is another's 'rich', one man's 'clean' can be another's 'sterile'....


....another difference between magazines and forums - a legion of fanboys cannot attack the credibility and validity of a review in a magazine in a manner that the undiscerning newbie can see. in other words, a magazine is a 'fixed' format. an author can disseminate his views without fear of (much) direct reprisal/rebuttal. a newbie here can and will get confused if a review with a strong opinion is followed up by 50+ posts by offended fanboys who may be articulate enough to sound deceptively reasonable.....
....you are right - the views of a single member here can carry as much weight as the editor of time. unfortunately, the (amateur) reviwer in question likely realises this. mull over that last sentence. a fear of seeming 'ungrateful' would also certainly also come into play here. it is telling that in my 2 years here, i've yet to see a single reallly 'bad' review. has what people define as 'good sound' changed over the years? no! then would someone care to explain to me why, say, the creek obh series went from 'well-regarded' and 'recommended' to 'panned'? did something better come out? possible. but then again, if you search back far enough, the creek 21 compared decently to the melos. why did one amp fall while the other remained 'up there'?.....



Sorry I have extracted your post ot get some straight points....

The main problem here is that a newbie never know who is the experience knowledgeable member and whom is a fanboy, it is really sometimes really hard to tell and in some cases the knowledgeable members, are also fanboys and friends of those mnaufacturers, so go and figure, how hard it is for a newbie....
icon10.gif
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 11:14 AM Post #110 of 128
I like the looks of his higher end amps, the portable ones is where I think meir falls short of other name-brand offerings. I know sound is what is important, but when Im spending 300+ dollars, I want something eye pleasing, the plastic case is not eye pleasing.

If it got a cosmetic remake I would really consider one. Until then the nice machined look of SR71, pocket reference, the new AE1, & supermacro will suffice.
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 1:34 PM Post #111 of 128
Just started reading this thread about my boyfriend Jan Meier. I must say, the appreciation he gets from you people makes me even prouder of him.
As a matter of fact I intend to go over to his place right now with a nice bottle of red wine and cook him his favorite meal, so that he can concentrate on his work: making people happy with the CORDA amps!
Or should I forget about the red wine?!
tongue.gif
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 1:50 PM Post #112 of 128
Being a relatively new person to head-fi I thought I would just add my perspective.

One I do rely a lot on what many of the senior people say regarding amps and headphones here. The fact is for a lot of people it is very hard to audition multiple amps or headphones and we need to have some place where perceived experts can give opinions. However, I am not so dumb that I just assume everyone is an expert. And having had the amazing oppurtunity to attend a meet I defenitely trust those I have interacted with slightly more then those I have not. At the same time I often look at a reviewer's profile to see what kind of amps they have owned and what kind of history they have on this forum. For a lot of the people who are being called "fanboys" here, I think they share similar profiles. These are usually people with not as much money and who have only bought one AMP. Of course they are going to be pre-disposed to what they purchased. Its very hard for someone to spend a year's budget on a one piece of audio equipment and the say its ****.

On the topic of reviewers getting cheaper samples, I think its a great idea. The fact of the matter is amp comparison becomes more valuable the more amps you listen to. If someone has access to a bunch of amps and is writing reviews then he is doing a service to the community. I don't like naming names, but a salient example to me is Zanth. He writes some truly superlative reviews that I feel are incredibly helpful to anyone with an interest. But most importantly he states when he was loaned something or when he has a relationship with the manufacturer. If other reviewers take a lesson from this (and express their relationship witht the manufacturers and whether they got a discount) then it makes it easier for readers to be more discerning.

Finally in a sort of rant, I was rather put off by a recent thread. The OP had bought the GS-1 and a cheaper similar amp (Gilmore light I believe) and found they could not hear the difference (in double blind testing). Without bashing either he simply stated that in his set up he could not justify the price of the GS-1. Out of the woodwork come people telling him his source sucks, or that he isnt accustomed to the sound enough, or "wait for more burn in". Then when he tries to post his impressions (which are usually IMO) for someone else, HIS posts are qualified by other people
confused.gif
.
I can respect that everyone has favourite house sound, and thankfully we see less of this when there are more experienced reviews, but it discourages honest opinions.

To end this long winded post, I heard the HD650s for the first time in a meet with it hooked up to $10,000+ equipment. Surrounded by the orpheus, mdr10 and others I was less then impressed. About 2/3 months later AYT999 lent me a pair and it was during the stress time of finals chilling with the HD650s and my PCII and a DJ-E2000, that I learned to love the HD650s. Jan truly does make some quality products and I appreciate his minimalist nature.

Sorry for being long winded.
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 3:06 PM Post #113 of 128
Quote:

Originally Posted by Yuppie
Just started reading this thread about my boyfriend Jan Meier. I must say, the appreciation he gets from you people makes me even prouder of him.
As a matter of fact I intend to go over to his place right now with a nice bottle of red wine and cook him his favorite meal, so that he can concentrate on his work: making people happy with the CORDA amps!
Or should I forget about the red wine?!
tongue.gif



Yuppie,

[size=medium]Welcome to head-fi & sorry for your wallet!
smily_headphones1.gif
[/size]
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 3:17 PM Post #114 of 128
Quote:

Originally Posted by SunByrne

[rant]
What is it about Head-Fi that such a large percentage of the people here are so down on marriage? I hate to break it to you, but some of us are indeed mature enough to get along with our spouses without these issues, and without sneaking around behind our spouse's back or other such nonsense. (In fact, I've been considering what I think is a pretty substantial purchase and I've been balking at the price tag--and my wife is encouraging me to go ahead and do it "because I know you'll enjoy having it.") So can we please knock off the marriage-bashing?
[/rant]
rolleyes.gif



LOL......are you serious?????? You want to deprive us from enjoying the fruit défendu ?????

Amicalement
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 3:57 PM Post #117 of 128
Quote:

Originally Posted by Genetic
LOL......are you serious?????? You want to deprive us from enjoying the fruit défendu ?????


Ah, of course, what was I thinking. Carry on, then...

tongue.gif
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 5:29 PM Post #118 of 128
Out of all amp manufacturers, I have the most respect for Headroom and Meier Audio. One, because they make excellent products, two, because they are head-fi sponsors, three, because they deal honestly, and four (perhaps the most important reason of all), they are creators and not sellers.

Sure, there are many amp manufacturers out there. But almost all of them give off this feeling that they are creating for the sake of selling, even when their products are actually good. Sort of like:
"We want to sell our products, so we make them good."

For Headroom and Meier Audio however, I've always gotten a different feel for how they operate:
"We will make good products, and the more we can sell them the better."

I honestly can't say that I've gotten the same feeling about certain manufacturers that have been hyped here on Head-fi.
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 7:25 PM Post #119 of 128
Quote:

Originally Posted by greenhorn
Yuppie,

[size=medium]Welcome to head-fi & sorry for your wallet!
smily_headphones1.gif
[/size]



Guess I wouldn't have to worry about that one since I got almost all prototypes from Jan ...
eggosmile.gif

Sorry guys!
 
Jul 18, 2005 at 8:05 PM Post #120 of 128
Quote:

Originally Posted by toor
Being a relatively new person to head-fi I thought I would just add my perspective.


Quote:

Originally Posted by toor
Finally in a sort of rant, I was rather put off by a recent thread. The OP had bought the GS-1 and a cheaper similar amp (Gilmore light I believe) and found they could not hear the difference (in double blind testing). Without bashing either he simply stated that in his set up he could not justify the price of the GS-1. Out of the woodwork come people telling him his source sucks, or that he isnt accustomed to the sound enough, or "wait for more burn in". Then when he tries to post his impressions (which are usually IMO) for someone else, HIS posts are qualified by other people
confused.gif
.
I can respect that everyone has favourite house sound, and thankfully we see less of this when there are more experienced reviews, but it discourages honest opinions.



Do you know the amplifiers? I'm willing to (not) go out on a limb here and say you are not familiar with either the amplifers or the quality of the gentleman's source, an Audigy card. There were some very helpful folks in that thread even if they might have been overenthusiastic. The reason they told him that his problem was his source is that it is...
biggrin.gif
Of course, there are various ways to handle that situation, several of which were suggested. It might be better for you to wait to form judgements until you are more familiar with the equipment being discussed, otherwise you might draw erroneous conclusions about what's happening, which in this case I believe you did. I didn't see his posts being qualified by other people, but I stopped paying attention when the thread got repititious....
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top