$4500 amp beat out the Tenor OTL in the latest TAS

Zaike, I meant that what they percieve, and whether they even know that they percieve well enough, becomes less a concern after one learns how to write in that system. Your ability to discern quality becomes much less important than you would assume when you first get there, as a reviewer, because you realize that it is a game that can be learned, and learned to hide that inability.

There are MANY reviewers who I know for a fact that can't hear as good as their reviews would lead you to believe. Like I said, its a game that you become adept at. Since I was there, I can see this much easier - it nearly jumps out when I read a mag - but there are certain patterns to watch for, as SRouse alludes (and he has heard alot of great equipment), although I will refrain comment on the specifics of what he says.

Suffice it to say that many reviewers have lousy ears and realize that they can get by best by: learning the lingo, constructing it with built in deniabilty, canvass the underground to conform observations to potential critics and reduce likelihood of being found out, adopt an aristocratic attitude laced with psuedo-erudite references to feign sophistication and, if a problem arises in any of those regards, do a follow up retracing and/or correcting prior observations. Of course, towing the mag line as far as politics - and it is a fawning cat fight - enables you to be in favor to get your stuff published in order to gain "credibilty" and enact this strategy effectively. There are, actually, too many devices to go into here.

On HP, and the above is not in reference to him in particular - he had decent ears when I knew him, excepting the bias towards bass. We had our run arounds - he was going through a rough time and I had little patience then - but I will say that he was a good Editor on the writing. And, a good writer himself. I have chosen to remember that.

Just to pick up a bit on Warrenh's earlier post: Has anyone here ever noticed in both Stereophile and TAS that it's not uncommon for one of the pieces to quit during the test? I have never seen any other brand fail as often. Yet Stereophile and TAS never seem to point out that there may be a QC problem. Can't help but agree with Warren that there are too many advertising $s involved and the mags don't want to tick off Sir Antony of MF. (Have no axe to grind with MF, but why has no one zoomed in on obvious QC problems with that company?)

Srouse is partially correct-HP did say that the $1000.00 list price Phillips SACD player was better than the megabuck ACCUPHASE SACD combo - not the dCS gear. Hey lets crucify him for that. If all we can say about a reviewer is that they have questionable hearing ( although as to HP I disagree) that isn't too bad. At least his opinions do not appear to be advertiser driven like so many others. Accuphase does not seem to have responded kindly to HP's opinion about their SACD gear vs. the inexpensive Phillips. Accuphase used to take out two full pages in TAS-now taken by Transrotor( see ad index at page 151 Issue 140 of TAS still listing Accuphase in Cover II and page 1). No wonder TAS is trying to reduce his role. They are on their way to becoming the defunct Fi magazine and Stereophile with mass listings of non-offending Recommended components.The most interesting thing about his review of the $4,400.00 ASL amp was that he said it was the best amp he has ever heard.I can't imagine Krell, Halcro,VTL,Tenor and others are going to be too happy.Whether the ASL amps are best or not-HP I salute you.You are the corporate advertising departments nightmare.

"I never see myself as aspiring to state-of-the-art system status, but I've already spent more time and money on the darn thing than I ever used to think I could be lured into, or am proud of, to be truthful. I bought most of the stuff used though, and stay away from high-end stereo shops like the plague, in addition to having no audio buddies and not attending the shows. So there!" Zaikesman,Sterophile Subscriber and Fremer Fan

I meant what I said and I said what I meant. If your point is that the mags played a part in my affliction, the answer is absolutely, although in my defense I can say that I was aware of the high end - knew a few people who were into it, spent time in some some of the local shops, and eventually worked in a shop myself - for years before I ever considered taking the plunge myself. My focus has always been much more on the music (playing, talking, attending, and reading, as well as listening) and record collecting, but after occasionally glancing at some of the mags over a long period of time, I finally tried a subscription when I still had a mid-fi system. I quit in disgust after the first year. Later, after I had begun my upgrading process, I tried again - twice - and finally seem to have made my internal peace with reading the mags. I guess it's a learned ability and an acquired tolerance. Probably the biggest reasons why I enjoy reading Fremer are his sense of humor, and the fact that he's got far and away the most copacetic tastes with mine in rock music among any of the critics, but he's also fairly adept and consistent at communicating his sonic impressions of gear. While he doesn't attempt to delve as deeply as Pearson, he's also much less full of it, qualities which likely go hand in hand.

Regardless, you actually help illustrate my point to a degree as to why we should even care about the mags at all. They are an accessible - and frequently educational, at their best - way into this world (although their quality and relevance has fallen off somewhat since I began reading them, not coincidentally as the prices of the 'top' gear have escalated beyond the pale). My first disenchanment was with the whole, seemingly ridiculous, high end mythos they promoted (ah, the clarity of my thinking in those days...). The second was when I learned the hard way that just when I thought I'd gotten a handle on the rules of the game, I found out you can't always believe what you read.

But who hasn't gone through that? Despite all the mags' shortcomings and deceptions, I've read much more truth and wisdom from the better writers over the years than I've ever heard from all but a very few salesmen in the shops (there are reasons other than being a cheapskate why I don't spend much time in them anymore). I've learned a lot of the basics about technical aspects of design through the mags, and a better sense of some of the history of the hobby. Yes, I've also learned the lingo of the land, a powerful force used for both good and evil. I'm a magazine reader. Always have been, but today I find that as life has changed, I no longer subscribe to humor mags, car mags, science mags, outdoors mags, music mags, guitar mags, bicycling mags, culture mags (never did political, sports, or "men's" mags :-) - I've pared it down to just one kind of magazine, audio mags. I don't know how long this will last, but it tells me that not only do I enjoy reading them more than I don't, but I *want* to enjoy them. Audiogon is a newer thing for me, and it's a gas being interactive, but it's not as relaxing - or as frequently educational or informative - as sitting back with a freshly arrived mag and my thoughts. The better writers still know more about audio than I do (just not more about me than I do), and that's the way I like it.

Anyway Kana813, I've got nothing to hide. I think I'm decently qualified to speak on this issue (sorry! ;^). But I wonder - what exactly was your point with the above quote from me as you see it? Do you have one, or are you just attempting to needle me somehow? Well, no matter what, I can assure you that I'm suitably impressed with your going back through my posts just to find one quote you thought might be of some tactical use to you, so go ahead and pat yourself on the back despite not having scored a knockout.