Reviewers...RANT

bit of a Saturday morning rant....

Just back from Germany and had time to listen to an A.N.T Kora MC limited phonostage. How do reviewers recommend something like this. I've seen worse reviews of much better products!

1. it's REALLY limited in the gain region. 62dB and that is it! We tried to use a Dynavector XX2 Mk2 and it just couldn't cope, there was too much noise.
2. The build quality is terrible! For £1000... it looks like a cheap Graham Slee unit. Sorry mr slee but your units look naff
3. The power supply - if you can call it that can't be for real.

I could go on but I was so disappointed from what I saw and heard that I had to put finger to keyboard before my first cup of afrobasilica coffee.

So...how do reviewers do it? They have no standards! They often use sub standard equipment, compare 2 products by memory, overlook build quality on some products and not others, overlook the important things on some products and not others...I could go on and on but it's Saturday.

 

Well said, that man.

 

don't forget that the reviewer is not always being paid to be accurate ...especially if the reviewed items owner's are putting expensive adds in the journal .....

I little tale that many of you have heard ....


many moons ago I help design a preamp and rather a nice sounding unit it was too.....for the lowly asking price.

Well the company owner decided that it should be reviewed in one of the better mags at the time ....we setup a meet with a little fat reviewer who ..once esconced in the bar ordered a large amount of food and drink on our tab....

he gave the unit a quick look over and said..... nice [it was a mirror black perspex box with gold detail ..it was all the fashion then] ....

he said "you know once I review it I get to keep the unit" ..."oh" we said ....[that was £500 plus food and drinks down the pan!] ...then he said ..seeing we were somewhat taken aback ..." I'll tell you what you write down loads of nice things to say about the unit and I'll write the review around them ..."......stoney sillence on our part ...finally my mate says ..." so this is how things opperate ..you don't even listen to the item ....".."oh no " was the reply ..."we don't have time for that !"...

at which point we retook possesion of the pre amp and left the little fat chap to fill his face ...

It never did get a review even though we tried ...coz we wouldn't play the game ....

 

Pete, I've heard similar stories about a number of reviewers.

 

i know dev,
nando.

 

In defence of reviewers, I can name four who've been incredibly helpful and given their knowledge and assistance freely in recent months.
Noel Keywood, David Price, Alan Sircom and Paul Messenger.

We shouldn't fall into the trap of attacking reviewers just because of one or two bad apples over the years.

 

Agreed Rob, but I don't think anyone is saying that all reviewers are the same. I certainly didn't mean to imply that.

 

second that, dev and rob,, i will talk to god,
nando.

 

I'm too busy for you today. I'll let you know when I can tolerate, er, listen to you.

 

thanks, please have a rest, sorry did not win the lotto so no M3 bm, sad
nando.

 

funny you mention this little riaa pre.
i demoed one of the kora's a short while ago and was a bit shocked at how it was'nt even close to my ref phono which i paid less than £250 for new.

i was expecting a near £1000 phono stage according to the review and a bargain at under £700.

but it was very ordinary and i would have shirked at paying more than £200 for it and that would be only if my own phono stage didnt exist.

i have to admit reviewers are beginning to get on my nerves now with every month a new reference.

oh well nothing new under the son in hi fi journalism we need more like markus and less of the roy g types.

thank god i listen to gear before i buy !

 

the majority crap the reviewer receives the less likely he/she is to listen to it.. or for obvious reasons, listen and comment with honesty, what's the difference.

 

<blushes>

Thanks!

 

i know i am old and i really think i am a bit of a rat bag but i still get a lot of enjoyment out of RG i never think in terms of
purchace just a read lets face it he knows a bit about the game read latest HI FI PLUS well as i say. Noel W.

 

I think RG is little more than a shill for hire these days, he doesn't seem quite as bad as Fremer, but I don't believe a word he says about any kit he reviews, it's all just flowery prose.

 

Wow is the Kora MC really that bad for the money? a mate of mine was seriously thinking of getting one after the glowing reviews.
Its not easy getting to demo a lot of this stuff before purchasing so these threads are very helpful

 

zoiberg

tell him not to bother with it. you can sometimes get ex-demo units from Whest Audio, just check their website. I managed to get a whestTWO for £550 ex-magazine review unit. That is so much better than the Kora....it's a joke!

 

I'll sure do that, thanks Rob