Jim,
I firmly believe that a well executed article that compares a handful or so like-products can actually be useful potentially even more-so than a singular product review. That said, the reason why such articles are rarely done is because they require an extreme amount of time and resources to do properly. Beyond facets of subjectivity that surround panel members hearing capacity and personal taste, there are more pressing matters as to whether or not a product is being fairly represented, matters such as:
Will the listening space be able to accommodate each loudspeaker to ensure that none will be left at a disadvantage?
Will you have a breadth of components on hand to achieve a good (confirmed) synergy with all the loudspeakers under review in order to attain a solid idea of what they can and cannot do?
Will you have reps from each manufacturer at the event so they can ensure that their product is set up as best as possible in that particular listening space?
The thing is Jim, if done the wrong way - such articles do far more harm than good. If the answer to the above is no or even a yes, but.. than honestly, all youre doing is setting yourself up for questionable conclusions that will help neither the consumer nor the manufacturer. If Stereomojos past work is any indication of what we can expect to see in this comparison, than its looking like this will be yet another article not to be taken seriously. Entertainment value aside, these contests that Stereomojo conduct bring almost nothing of merit to the table. Unless things have changed (and I hope that they have), I can only hope that folks in this industry have smartened up and will stay far, far away.
