What happened to Paul Miller

Try here:

http://www.hifinews.com/

Geoff

Oh dear. Is this definitive proof that no-one reads HFN any more? !

Alastair

quote:

Oh dear. Is this definitive proof that no-one reads HFN any more?

I finished my subscription a couple of years ago for the following reasons

1. Ken Kessler`s patronising, arrogant, generally nauseating writing style. I notice that now he writes a regular column for HiFi choice, along with another of my loathed writers, David-cliche-rules-ok-Vivian...who seems to be barely literate, let alone being quite ignorant about most matters HiFi....I guess one pays one`s money....


2. The increasing AV content

3. When I came to renew my subscription, I was expected to pay more than a new subscriber....I was being penalised for loyalty... a bit of a slap in the face...

4. It often (usually)arrived later than it appeared in the local newsagent


laurie

Kessler left HFN but has now re-appeared as Senior Contributing Editor, or some such grandiose title. HFN used to be good for some fairly extensive music reviews, but those have been cut down to a perfunctory page or two.

Memo to self: cancel the subscription.

In my view HFN is on its way back to being a half decent Hi-Fi rag. It did dip to a very low point about a year ago, but does now seem to be regaining direction, much less AV stuff, back to in-depth technical articles, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by SB:
In my view HFN is on its way back to being a half decent Hi-Fi rag - but does now seem to be regaining direction, much less AV stuff, back to in-depth technical articles, etc.

Well that has to be good news. Anyway, it's far better than some of the comics out there!

Peter

Agreed but it's still a 'comic'. Which of the comics can you trust/rely on ? I can't think of one but many years ago when I first got interested in Hi-Fi, you could rely on Hi-Fi News. Then it was written by engineers and designers, gentlemen with great experience on the subject. There was very little subjective writing - it was mainly objective and measurements with the emphasis being on listening for yourself.

As a dealer, how often do you get equipment to try and then read a review bearing little or no relationship to the product you have ? Certainly makes me wonder what makes our mags 'tick' now.

quote:

Originally posted by Cymbiosis:

quote:

Originally posted by SB:
In my view HFN is on its way back to being a half decent Hi-Fi rag - but does now seem to be regaining direction, much less AV stuff, back to in-depth technical articles, etc.

Well that has to be good news. Anyway, it's far better than some of the comics out there!

Peter

i think i read hifi mag articles for entertainment -- and sometimes for education. i have read some classic reviews before in one hifi mag or another. the trick i guess is not to take it all too seriously...

enjoy
ken

quote:

Originally posted by Laurie Saunders:

I finished my subscription a couple of years ago for the following reasons

1. Ken Kessler`s patronising, arrogant, generally nauseating writing style....

Horses for courses Laurie, the two reasons I bought an occasional copy were:

1. KK; and
2. Music reviews.

Now the only one I buy occasionally is Hi-Fi+, and I think that has taken a mis-step since tying into the US partner.

M

Because I have only been into high quality HiFi for a few years I have found the Mags to be a better source of information than Manufacturers websites and especially other fora. Though I have noticed that when a piece of kit has something positive written about it they use words (especially David Price) like Astonishing, Sublime, Delicious, and when its a negative its always a tad, smidgen, slightly, so for me they are not doing themselves any favours with this approach. They could be upfront a little more and if they all do it the Advertisers will have no choice in the matter and maybe the kit would improve.

Also in defense of the Mags for what I have learnt is that most kit these days is well built, makes good sound and there is a price point for every pocket so they are in a bit of a pickle when it comes to reviewing stuff if none of it is truly bad.

HiFi News has improved since Paul miller has taken over and they seem to be marking the kit in a much more severe fashion, very little kit gets over 85% which is good if the bar has been raised then the scoring should reflect that. KK is opinionated and seems to argue with himself in his columns and I used to find him annoying but now he is an amusing oddity. Still though I've just stopped my subscription, I was reading to many mags.


HiFi Critic is going the right way by seeing things its own way with some negative articles on the Cambridge Audio 840 (Bland and unexciting), CD5i (not very good outside of an all Naim setup, though not really suprising that one) and the lastest Class D (Just not very good).


So as someone else has said don't take them too seriously but read them carefully and you might learn a thing or two.



Dean..

Yes, but even HI FI Critic must knowtow to the industry if it wants to continue receiving equipment loans free of charge.


So the rags are for entertainment purposes only, nothing wrong with that.


US