NEW Musical Fidelity DAC

Sean,
I believe you are totally correct on this.
The UK mags are exactly the same and although I enjoy reading them I would never buy a product or even believe any hype surrounding any piece of equipment based on their views-certainly at least by some of the writers.
But I do enjoy the mags,I get to read about stuff I could never afford and obviously a lot of the writers are genuine about this hobby but I see many reviewers who appear to be in the pockets of the big guys.
The only choice we really have is not to buy the mags.

Here's an interesting bit of information - Sam Tellig's (not his real name) graphic design company does the layout for the Audio Advisor catalog which was the exclusive Musical Fidelity dealer in the US. Not to say that the MF gear is not good but maybe there was a little "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."

You can't buy a good review at Stereophile. I can assure you of that. I know from behind the scenes of a couple companies that have pulled big dollars not just for getting bad reviews or not getting mentions at shows. Sam Tellig certainly has given good reviews to Rega. Do you see a single Rega ad? Triangle hardly advertises at all...this month in the "showcase" section which is the least expensive.

I spend a lot of money there doing a full page every month, and I deal with an outside ad rep like everyone else.

On Musical Fidelity ..it couldn't be that the gear deserves it, can it? The product of the year awards from not just the US, but from the UK and Asia? Naw...it's the guy behind the grassy knoll that killed the president.

As to any reviewers likes and dislikes...I will say this. Some want to "be the first" to discover something. If they aren't, they may temper their words without even realizing it. If you piss them off, you may get a review that is lukewarm to bad. So on a personal level, yes, there can be a lot of ass-kissing.

No different than a new car introduction. You don't think that does not get special handling? Parties? Test track get-togethers? In most other industies it much worse than hifi because high end audio manufactures are small and don't have the money.

As to relationships and gear getting hand delivered, If you were the owner of a small company you would not make sure everything lined up? You'd be dumb not to.

Lastly, some people are fans of marques. I like BMW. In fact I LOVE BMW. So when they come out with a new model I will have interest and a pre-conceived feeling of its potential. I have a Chrysler Town and Country minivan too (I have to). My last one was a piece of crap, and though this one is better I still cast a suspicious eye. It's human nature.

One last thing. I've been in this a while, and when guys get into ultra high end, there is sometimes a notion that "if it's made in a garage, it's better". The small up-and-comer has "new" concepts and ideas...then that same company, after they get big and actually HAVE some REAL engineering experience (and they start advdertising)is suddenly not tweaky enough and everything they make is "good but does not exhibit emotion" or some such goofiness.

If I sense that, some customers will admit it, some won't. It's like that in watch collecting too. Most serious collectors hate Rolex and dismiss them as commercial mass made watches. Truth is they work and don't break.

Upscaleaudio - lots of good points and interesting insight. I wouldn't, however, liken anybody's assertions to be conspiratorial to the point of being ludicrous. If nothing else, even if MF is the greatest value / gear ever made, what's up with covering every component they've ever produced? I mean, ST has covered so many of their pieces in the past 18-24 months it's almost silly. Then they've also received full blown reviews on the high-end components as they've come rolling off the production line as well. I have no experience with MF gear, but am more than willing that believe that it's excellent stuff. I'm also willing to believe that there is no direct connection between this number of reviews and MF's place on the back cover of recent Stereophiles (certainly one of the most expensive full-page ad placements in the magazine). But the combination of all this coverage, coupled with the glowing (even by Stereophile standards) reviews and the hands-on service is certainly going to bring suggestions of impropriety. Even if it's not accurate (or completely accurate), it's not "out there" to suggest that this behavior causes the opinions generated to be somewhat suspect.

And, no, I doubt anybody here thinks that this behavior is unique to audio. I'm sure if we were talking about cars, guitars, power boats or what have you that there would be threads with the same theme. I'm in a position where decisions I make can direct a significant amount of capital expenditure and am therefore exposed to nice "offers" that are, of course, not intended to influence my behavior. It's why many corporations have a "no gift" policy - they don't want this type of behavior to influence the right business decisions. Of course the behavior is still rampant, but some companies are much stricter than others specifically because they want to be "above" reproach on the topic. If you're openly hand-in-hand with the equipment supplier and potential advertiser, and all that that brings with it, you're going to legitimately bring a shadow of potential impropriety on yourself.

It is funny how the pattern of upstart vs. established plays itself out across so many hobbies. A friend of mine is into biking and, without knowing any of the brand names, I started describing the "overpriced piece of crap" made by one of the big players, that nobody "in the know" would buy because they know the real performers. Only those thousands of satisfied semi-enthusiasts who don't know any better buy that stuff. -Kirk

They have covered many of the Musiacl Fidelity products..but NOT every one. But if the product is one that deserves it, why shouldn't they? They write about stuff that is interesting and in demand, whether that is from a small compamy or not.

Look at Creek. A bit of press there, eh? How many Creek ads are there? Zero I see.

If the statements made earlier rang true, there is a full color inside gatefold ad for YBA.

Mordant Short has a full page color. Where's the juice for that? So does Canton. And Ar. And Viola. How many more? It's silly. In fact it appears the reverse is true.

How about the Richard Gray's Power Company? He has a half page color and if my memory serves me well...that has not bought him a thing. I recall a review he may not have dug.

How about full color from SMART? Half page color for Acoustic Dreams? Where's the payback?

If I have any gripe with reviewers, it's that they may take a contrary position to a brand or model that's "hot" either consciously or subconsciously. Or if a brand is not "stylish" they won't say how really good it is...esp if it's a model or line that has been around or beat up anywhere else.

Good example is Sonic Frontiers which made amps that were no doubt some of the best ever. Class A..and you could not deny their performance and engineering...but the last reviews were written with less "oomph".

On the small company thing....some small brands overcharge like crazy...at obscene levels for what you get. I think every product should be judged on it's own merit. I also think that there are some brands that work on a lower margin, giving you more for your dollar.

Musical Fidelity is no doubt one of those, and it can be witnessed by taking the lid off and comparing them to Levinson and many others.