Stereophile, no more bench tests????!!!!


Looks like Stereophile may be cutting back on expenses, no more bench testing for measurements and specs to keep the manufacturers and reviewers honest, it'll make you think twice on what to believe now, without the proof to back it up.

 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/mark-levinson-no534-power-amplifier

 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/music-round-91-parasound-halo-52

 

Cheers George


128x128georgehifi
I support my hobby so I will support the mags.  I don’t care what others think.
Thst us a tragedy. John A was the best I know at listening,  measuring and separating the truth from the B.S.. times 
Are a changing.  I guess they too now need every ad they can get 
Online services are crippling everyone .  The consumer needs even
More so to be in step of what s going on .  R.I.P  Audio Gods of old .
Both mags are influenced by the industry. Nary a bad review. If you want a system that works for you, then go and demo gear until you find what brings you pleasure. For those of you who do not have this option, I'm not addressing my comments to you and I'm only sorry you can't do that in your region. Specs can be nice for those who don't have the option of dealers. But for me, I'll let my ears tell me what works together and then go in that direction.
+1 Mapman.

As I’ve said in a number of threads here in the past, the main usefulness of specs and especially JA’s uniquely comprehensive measurements is in identifying and **ruling out** candidates for purchase that would be poor matches with other components in the system (e.g., due to impedance incompatibilities, mismatches of gains, sensitivities, power capability, etc.), or with the listener’s requirements (e.g., peak volume capability, perhaps deep bass extension, etc). But not in selecting among candidates which make that cut, where listening is essential.

By doing that preliminary screening based on specs and measurements, the randomness of the selection process is decreased considerably, as is the likelihood of expensive mistakes.

A second major usefulness of specs and measurements is in diagnosing problems or sonic issues that may arise or become apparent in a system that has already been assembled.

As evidence of these usefulnesses of specs and measurements, I couldn’t begin to count the number of threads here in which I and many others have found it useful and in fact necessary to refer to the measurements JA provides in Stereophile. Where else is one likely to find, for example, the output impedance at 20 Hz of a tube-based line-level component, which is essential information in determining impedance compatibility with solid state equipment that it may be asked to drive. Where else is one likely to find how a speaker’s impedance varies as a function of frequency, which is not only important information in determining how much amplifier power is required, but can often be helpful in predicting whether a tube amp or a solid state amp would be the best choice for the particular speaker, or if both kinds of amps might be suitable. And where else can one find a **meaningful** indication of speaker sensitivity, rather than a manufacturer’s spec that may be optimistic by several db by virtue of clever but misleading "specmanship." For example, by basing the spec on whatever frequency produces the best number, as I’ve seen done in a number of cases, or by fudging the number in some other manner.

Finally, it is also sometimes possible to rule out candidates from consideration on the basis that some of their specs or measurements are simply TOO GOOD. A classic example being Total Harmonic Distortion numbers that are extremely small fractions of 1%, which depending on other aspects of the amp’s design can be indicative of heavy-handed application of feedback, the likely result being Transient Intermodulation Distortion and excessive amounts of the most objectionable kinds of harmonic distortion.

Best regards,
-- Al
Sorry, but I love TAS.  I have had an uninterrupted subscription since Issue 20 (December 1980).  I bought quite a few back issues before the fire in Sea Cliff and have found the rest, so I have every print issue.

I started my Stereophile subscription in 1981 and have every issue since.  Not quite a full set.

Yes, I still read them cover to cover every month.  Kind of a ritual by this point I guess.