Had to take Mrs R to the optician this week as it was an hour long appointment I ducked into Smith’s and bought a copy of hi fi News. Wow! “The Home Of Real HiFi” well what more can you say.
Needless to say if you are familiar with this publication I felt like a pauper within minutes and highly amused that my system and my music choice’s could be used to hold the listening room door open whilst they moved in their latest mortgage worthy product.
There were a few adverts from Naim dealers in the classified and some interesting comments on vinyl quality but what the heck.
It’s not envy or affordability on my part but surely the arena for this type of gear exists but is it musical enjoyment. Is this more form over function or like expensive art beauty in the eye of the wealthy beholder.
Apart from reading What HiFi on and off as a teenager and exceedingly rarely since, I’ve never been a big hifi magazine reader. Never been able to see how anyone would need to read a new magazine every month for a product that I buy much less frequently.
But, to your question, I suppose all niche interest magazine markets have their own sub-niche markets. What HiFi was always for relatively normal paupers like me as a teenager, and other magazines catered for increasingly deeper pockets. Wasn’t HFN always a bit more at the higher end of the market? As the HiFi market has shrunk over the last few years and polarised into either small ‘n’ cheap or huge ‘n’ expensive, it would make sense that the magazines would polarise similarly.
Explains why WHF covers lots of small stuff like headphones, portable DACs, soundbars and the like, while HFN now covers the stuff you mention.
I have a few of them as apps that I dip into every now and then to see if an issue is worth paying and downloading.
I much prefer a digital rather a hard copy.
Happy to read them as entertainment but also because after a while they’re the same as any publication involving analysis and critique and you can get to know those who share your tastes to the extent that you can be reasonably sure that if they like certain things then you will also like them.
Over the years I’ve bought a Naim CDP, Micromega CDP, Pioneer amp, Epos ES11s and my current Feliks Arioso as part of a process which started with reviews alerting me to “that might work”. In the case of the Pioneer and the Feliks there was no opportunity to demo before purchase so being able to trust certain reviewers was critical. The Feliks, whilst about to go in for repair, is simply extraordinary. Without the music mags I wouldn’t have known they even existed.
Many on here live in places where dealers are hundreds of miles away and so forums such as this and reviews play a critical role It’s a cheap shot being dismissive. The same people will often bemoan the loss of print journalism elsewhere. A staggering lack of self awareness really.
Interestingly, my two favourite bits of kit over the years were bought blind.
The mags have undoubtedly been obligated to move upmarket with the products they review (he who pays the piper etc.) but not exclusively so and what’s often missed is that a lot of ex music mag journos moved in and preside over music reviews which are no longer beholden to record companies etc. as they would have been if they wrote elsewhere. This regularly produces reviews which are far more useful than those in the traditional music media. I have posted a screen shot in the Springsteen: Tracks II thread from Stereophile. The first two paragraphs of that are the most honest thing you’ll read about Bruce this year. Couldn’t have been written anywhere else.
But do folk only buy mags to read about stuff they’d buy themselves? Perhaps they just enjoy reading about audio gear including the very expensive stuff. There was a lot of interest on the forum when Naim introduced Statement, but I suspect few of those contributing to the discussion had the means or intention of buying any.
I have subscribed to HFN for a few years now (it started as a Christmas gift) and see it as the audio equivalent of a super car magazine; nice to read the reviews but I could never afford most of the gear shown. I do enjoy the letters pages and articles towards the end and the vintage gear revisited.
I am subscribed to Stereophile only, digital.
10 years before I was buying Hifi plus, Absolute sound, Hifi News, Hifi World, print.
Has lost interest as nowadays all the reviews have similar : « it sounds so good that it’s analog, it can be compared to products costing 10 times more, …..etc ».
The reviewers don’t compare the product to similar price ones, but vs other much more expensive or much less expensive. So the comments are : the X is not ashamed vs the Y at ten times the price. Or the X is so much better vs my Y ( which is much less expensive).
@frenchrooster
I used to subscribe to Absolute Sound Print. Reviews are valuable when home auditions are not possible. For me, the best thing about the AS, was the periodic list of great LPs and CDs. I am fortunate to have several. Now that high quality streaming is readily available, the list is less compelling. However, the list was updated a few years ago for their 50th anniversary. Many new inclusions.
Great feedback as I genuinely have not bought a HiFi mag for years music mags yes or Landrover Owners Wife’s Monthly.
I agree with what most of you have said and it is a little like supercars good to look at but mega bucks to own. Had a friend years ago we were both avid VW/ Porsche fans and poured over every magazine and article that had anything to do with the same. Convinced by editorial he took the plunge and bought a Porsche 914, and that’s when it’s gets a tad torrid
All the rebuilds in the magazines were probably sponsored and my mate caught a real cold. £470.00 for a sill cover in the middle 80’s probably could have got an LP12 for near that amount!!!
