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TAS new look-the end is near?

Picked up the latest copy of The Absolute Sound a couple of days ago and something just aint right. First I noticed the cover has changed. Gone is the dignified layout- White boardered in a contrasing color. Changed is the subtitle from "The High End Journal of Audio and Music" to "Stereo - Multichannel Audio - Music" ! Flipping through I find bold red printed highlighted quotes between paragraphs in some of the reviews. Then I came accross pages 18-19. FUTURE TAS big orange letters, pictures and arrows and captions and it hit me. Stereo Review! Audio! But not TAS! Even the paper stock seems cheaper. I remember when the cool little "underground" mag grew to full size. Oh well at least the print and pics were bigger. But now the "journal" looks like any mag, no character. Shorter reviews, less critical comment, more watered down praise. Now this! What happened to this sharp edged journal? Does this distub anyone else? PS- if the must change their look they should check out HI-FI+ (GB).
blkadr
bishopwill
369 posts
 
Good points, rcprince, I'll try to be more tolerant. I really do not like the man's supercilious attitude, as though he, and he alone, had ears. That being said, TAS is the only current mag that I find myself reading through from kivver to kivver. Stereophile is good for about an hour whereas TAS lasts me a whole Sunday afternoon.
blkadr OP
731 posts
 
One of the most entertaining things about TAS was the attitude, the snobbery and the inane feud with Stereophile. The way they took themselves so seriously was part of the attraction for me. Im not saying that it was correct, just that it was more fun. Anyone who make choices and opinions based only on a rags recommendations needs aroma therapy. I understand that to stay alive they might have to appeal to a broader audience, Im just saying its a little sad.
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Blkadr, I used to love that too, the snobbery and the exquisite rudeness, besides, lest we forget, HP not only taught the most of us what to listen for, he also gave us a language to express it in and Bishopwill, his superciliousness at least was brought across with embullient verbosity and caustic wit. Its a shame, the man's been Dell-ified and tamed.
kthomas
911 posts
 
As long as I can subscribe for a buck an issue, I'll read them all, whatever direction they take. Pure entertainment, very little buying guidance for me.

It's not HP's attitude or ego that get to me, it's his ridiculous writing style that gets me boiling. He clearly knows a lot, clearly has a gigantic ego, etc. etc., but that just all comes with the package a lot of times - he's definitely pushed the "art" forward in interesting ways. But he fancies himself some fabulous writer which ends up yielding a verbosity that can become unbearable. Never say something in 10 words if you can find a way to use 50 seems to be his motto.

The only time his attitude really gets to me is when he tries to convey how much "work" it is to get all this bazillion $$$ equipment to sound right. He doesn't exactly sound joyous about any of it.

Still, the audio world is a better place with TAS in it - past, present or future form. As I said, I'll gladly read it (and other mags) if they're only a buck an issue. -Kirk

ljgj
955 posts
 
When you have been in this thing as long as HP its like anything else that was once a love and passion - it becomes a job. It's still a passion but just how excited and what can you say about something like an amplifier that you haven't already said a thousand times about the latest amplifier.
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