The Audio Critic

[analogism]

Having read the back issues of "The Audio Critic" I would be more than interested to hear of anyone who has used DBT/ABX for the purchase of cables, amplifiers or cd players.

Anybody who hasn't stumbled across this link, download the free PDFs and pull out a cold beer...

http://www.theaudiocritic.com/cwo/Back_Issues/


I found the articles to be well written, and humbling. The magazine editor and his contributors seem to focus on these key points:

*Spend your money on speakers and good quality recordings, because amps sound the same and many cd players do too.

*Don't even bother with cables as long as their well built with ordinary capacitance/inductance they all do the same job.

*The reason reviewers in mainstream hifi magazines dont use DBT/ABX on products is because subjectivity sells, and the industry is built on the belief that electronics have different and individual sounds. This is false, because DBT has never proven that two amps with high input impedance, low output impedance, and low distortion with matched levels sound even slightly different.

These points are summarised, and unlike the segue of this thread section (bore everyone silly etc) I found the magazine well worth the reading effort.

;)

[Michael Jones]

Given that The Audio Critic once gave a rave review to a product in which he had a financial interest, any readers may wish to approach the publication with caution.

[bizzar]

Funny, I tried out a Parasound HCA1200 M2 power amp late last year, it certainly sounded better than the Sony ES55 that I had been using, so I bought it, that throws that theory out the window.
I also hear a difference in IC's and speaker cables too, that's another theory out the window.
But I do agree that a good recording does make a difference - garbage in garbage out.

Cheers.

[analogism]

If I'cs and speaker cables have different capacitance etc they would sound different? But better? And when somebody gives a good review to a product they have financial interest in, yes that is concerning, but it doesn't rule out the benefits of scientific methods used to approach component and speaker reviews...

[Craig F]

Here we go again. Figures tell all, ears are guided by eyes, all electronic components sound the same. I guess it was about time it got aired again. Oh and I nearly forgot that all cables are snake oil.

Cheers,

Craig.

[analogism]

umm, you didn't read my first post. Those are not my views or else I would still use my old cruddy technics amp and red and white dse ic's. I was just highlighting a good read, controversial sure, but interesting nonetheless. I was also curious if anyone had auditioned gear that way... anyway, I just posted the link as it's free, some people might find something interesting in there to read.

[Craig F]

umm, you didn't read my first post. Those are not my views or else I would still use my old cruddy technics amp and red and white dse ic's. I was just highlighting a good read, controversial sure, but interesting nonetheless. I was also curious if anyone had auditioned gear that way... anyway, I just posted the link as it's free, some people might find something interesting in there to read.

No, but they're essentially the views of the articles you directed the readers to. Some of us aren't impressed, humbled or wowed by the audio critics views. Such is life.

Cheers,

Craig.

[analogism]

Fair enough.

[Craig F]

Fair enough.

I've been thinking that my response was ill tempered and un-called for and for that I'm sorry. I just feel that it's possible in most fields to construct "scientific" ways to disprove anything that you like. It is my strong belief that amps, cd players, cables etc are not all the same so I regard suspiciously a testing methodology that shows that they are the same.

Cheers,

Craig.

[Michael Wong]

So if amps, CDPs, cables etc all sound the same why bother testing them ?

:rolleyes:

[Michael Jones]

Because if you don't run reviews of these product, which all sound the same, then it's hard to sell advertising space.

[King_Eddy]

Imagine life if all components sounded equal. Audio mag's would be a drag;

"you could buy this product, its really good beacause...ummmm...well...it looks quite nice?"

...might put an end to the "upgrade bug"

[Tony Davey]

an end to the upgrade bug?

you jest surely :)

[Michael Jones]

"Of all the products we have tested, this is definitely one of them" is a précis of just about every review from the late Stereo Review magazine. The editors of that magazine either truely believed that all products sounded the same or (more likely, from comments from people formerly involved with the magazine) that it wasn't regarded in the advertisers interests for the magazine to say that anything other than speakers could sound different.

[conan]

I plugged in a new Perreaux 350. Wife in next room "wow, that sounds a whole lot better" (than the Plinius 50mk2 it replaced).

and etc, etc for several other components, eg cryogenically treated power cables ("wow it's just like being there!" (at a concert).

Yep, I heard the differences too!

[conan]

- just read the "Lies" article in Issue 26, 2000AD - I found it a bit funny, and something of a banal regurgitation of prejudice, probably none if it spontaneously personal.

"Just one big lie - vinyl"
It's interesting to hear young people's reaction to vinyl:
1. "wow! that's so much better than CD. This is now my next project, "buy a turntable"
2. "I bought a turntable - it's like 50 times better than listening to MP3s!"