High End Audio ISN'T THE SAME ANYMORE 

★ *QOTD: Are the good ole days of audio publications and print magazines better and/or more credible than today's RU-vid audio review channels?* ★ *NEED MORE INFO? ✔︎ THE ⬆︎DESCRIPTION⬆︎* ★ *COMMENT RULES:* - No outside URLs, RU-vid links or email addresses - Keep it civil. It’s okay to disagree, just don’t be a jerk about it.

I have been buying audio equipment for fifty years or so and like many people started with a relatively humble system and upgraded over the years. The plethora of hi-fi mags were always a useful starting point in choosing new gear. However, we were blessed with vastly more bricks and mortar stores and the absolute maxim we lived buy was NEVER buy anything without listening to it extensively first. The more enlightened stores, and there were many of them, had dedicated listening rooms and welcomed extensive auditioning session. I have spent a whole day in one store comparing speakers with no hint of complaint from the store owner. As far as I was concerned I wouldn't even buy a cable without testing it first. Since the turn of the millenium I have bought most of my gear from just two dealers. They stock a great range of gear and are happy to accommodate people like me in their listening rooms. They are also happy to put a piece of your own gear into a shop system or for you to provide your own music (vinyl or CD). One also offers extended home listening trials for the more esoteric items. My last high-ish end system of Naim CD player, Krell amp and Martin Logan speakers was bought this way. I would not have entertained buying these unheard from an internet based store but we are being forced down this path as more and more stores are closing, not being able to compete. I no longer have the system just mentioned having sold it some years ago. But I would like to get something like it again. Perhaps surprisingly I have not looked at any newer systems as I am not able to apply my old maxim. Instead I have been looking at second hand Krells etc. in the knowledge that I could probably buy safely and get the sound I would expect. Music is an intensely personal medium. Not only the type or style but the actual audio qualities are unique to each of us. One man's detailed is another man's shrill and so on. However we are now living in a society where we blindly accept the opinion (sometimes paid for) of some internet influencer or other or are driven by the dictates of fashion where the brand is all important and matters such as "does it actually sound good to me?" of little or no relevance. Here in the UK we are lucky that we still have some good enlightened dealers who will welcome you through the doors of there emporiums and engage in a few hours of listening and discussion. Long may they remain for they will always receive my custom. In the meantime I feel sorry for those not so lucky and may not even know what a good personally tailored system sounds like so blindly buy the latest fashionable piece of kit.

I asked a local hiFi store owner recently if HiFi really is dwindling, as they say online, and he said no, but it is changing: New or young audiophiles gravitate towards headphones, not speakers any more. Vinyl and to some extend the comeback of CD are also driving new sales. But it was indeed his opinion that the advent of true, widely-available high-end headphones during the last few years or so (excluding electrostatic headphones that have existed as a niche already for a long time) has saved HiFi. A good headphone can add as a stepping stone to speaker-based audio for younger people, some of whom have never in their lives even seen a stereo speaker set up. Yet everyone knows what a headphone is and can appreciate that there are differences in how they reproduce music. Once they start to hear proper (even three dimensional) stereo imaging, unprecedented resolution and correct tonality, the HiFi seed is planted. The Apple or Amazon smart speaker or earbuds will no longer do. He said every HiFi gear brand is now pushing out headphone amps or combination devices. Combined with streaming and analog audio chains that is the direction of both HiFi and highend HiFi now.

Unfortunately I have had issues finding outlets where you can actually listen to mid range system components in the 5-10G system range. Your reviews have helped me to search out specific items for listening. For that, I thank you!

How about we take music away from the engineers and give it back to the musicians? Get rid of over compressed “two dimensional” music and get rid of mathematically corrected drum beats. Oh, and let’s not forget auto tune...

I remember looking at print magazines, but they always contained equipment that was outrageously expensive, from brands that I’d never heard of and couldn’t listen to locally even if I had the money, and usually were funny looking (as opposed to my Pioneer tt/Technics receiver/cheapo box speakers). I was never really a classical/jazz kinda guy in my younger years, so the tracks that were used in the equipment reviews (or record reviews) were unfamiliar to me. So those magazines were fun to look at, but I never considered buying anything they reviewed. Buying locally was usually done at my department store, from whatever they had, and you only returned something because it was broken, and even then you were put through the ringer to try to get your money back or a replacement. Now you can see multiple reviews of equipment at any expense level you like, and the return policies for most gear is so lenient that you don’t have to keep hardly anything you don’t want. There are very few pieces of equipment today that are so bad as to be unlistenable, just not as great as the next piece. Life is good. Only the truly spoiled can complain today about the level of equipment out there.

High-end audio hasn't changed. Pro reviewers, with few exceptions, will not put high-dollar, prestige-oriented components side-by-side, grade them, then declare an overall winner. Road and Track does it for cars; Consumer Reports for appliances. I suspect if you put a Wilson up against a Sonus Faber, the loser will never send the reviewer another one to review. So, yeah, it hasn't changed.

Im greatful for this video. I rely on formats like this and specifically this youtube channel. Andrew Robinson "is" my HIFi magazine for this information age. Your efforts dont go unnoticed, hence the growing popularity. Excellent work!

In the '70s and even in the '80s, there were countless of Hi-Fi stores in my city. Ads announcing the latest amplifier or turntable were everywhere, in magazines, on billboards and TV. Now the city only has boring clothing stores and people listen to soundbites on their iPhone through earbuds or one of those annoying portable bluetooth speakers. A $1500 Hi-Fi system is simply a ridiculous idea to them but they gladly spend that same amount of money on a phone. So yeah, times are always changing.

Well, for the average person, it has changed. For me, my first stereo was going Sears. I purchased a Technics SAGX290. For A 15 year old. Was awesome. I remember when BestBuy used to display speakers and you could audition them. Remember before Tweeter closed down in 06 or 07 checking out Magnepans and Mirage. In about 15 years this changed. There are audio stores around. But not many. Bluetooth speakers have flooded the market. But to those of us that know where to look. The audition side is hard to come by. I know of 3 audio stores within 45 minutes of me. When I was a kid there were 7 places including a Cambridge Soundworks store in town. And all of them auditioned speakers. The last set of speakers I did audition were Insignia NS-SP213's. 60 bucks is still 60 bucks. And I don't like to waste money! But also I think people get Audiophile and high end mixed up. You don't have to spend a fortune to be an audiophile. Although, it does help.

Great Analysis and I used to collect all of the magazines that’s out mentioned and use them as reference material as well. It was so much fun to get that magazine issue in the mail because the previous book told and showed you what was coming that next month. People were accusing reviewers of being hacks in the comments section of the magazines and the editors would respond, people would threaten to cancel their subscription and now RU-vid is subscription based, but you can check out content without subscribing, but you could also do that by going to libraries and bookstores and sitting down and reading the magazines. I agree nothing has changed, but your prospective of what has changed. The industry has evolved since the internet and that evolution is RU-vid, but I still enjoy and subscribe to my print magazines, but the list is smaller and smaller.

I first got involved in audio in 1979. It was a separates system all made by Akai ... I think it was called the Akai Pro 101 all screwed into a Studio styled rack - all jet black. It looked a lot better than it sounded but at the time (being a teenager) I thought it was incredible. The HiFi bug bit and I started buying HiFi magazines - many are still in publication. Like you, I collected years worth, and over that time I saved and bought many amazing systems. The very shop I bought most of my equipment from, I ended up working for (Sevenoaks HiFi) ... My ears became very good at listening and hearing the differences between products. This became a skill, and in 1989 it got me a job as a trainee sound engineer in a small London commercial recording studio. Over a period of 12yrs I got to meet and hear many well known artists. I also learnt about commercial quality recordings and specialist audiophile recording techniques. Being involved this way changed my whole attitude and approach to HiFi ... The black art of high end mix & match lost its elusive charm and having access to many master recordings allowed me to make comparisons. I also joined this fascinating world during the analogue/digital revolution (which was a game changer) Today I own a small quality project studio. I have a side interest/passion for cinematic quality visuals too, but with cameras and all the kit needed costing 100k plus for basics, it's a limited infection lol. Audio is a remaining passion, and audiophile recording techniques and available technology has improved dramatically. I hoard equipment ... I own classic mic's that cost thousands 30yrs ago I also own many modern mic's costing considerably less that outperform. On the other hand, I still own a 1980's Krell power Amp that still sounds incredible, yet it's hardly used. Its power hungry and the lights dim every time its switched on lol. My home system is a high end mid-field active system. I enjoy it greatly and will often test various studio recordings (stereo masters) on it. Things have improved greatly over the years, but commercially available recordings are far from what's possible. People might hate me for saying this, but a genuine (masterfully recorded) high end digital audiophile recording, will technically outperform an analog recording, but as with everything, some will love it, some will not as its all subjective. Recording studios and HiFi have an awful lot in common with Willy Wonka.

I used to get Sound & Vision and Stereophile back in the earily 2000's. I did enjoy reading them but many of the products in these magazines seemed cherry picked for marketing reasons while many good products never even made it into any of these magazines. This is why I prefer the internet and RU-vid, just because so many more products can be reviewed and compared and often multiple reviews for one product. I think its a good thing when several RU-vidrs all review the same product long as they are faithful to their experience and don't all hype the same BS. This gives me several opinions to help to chew on and make an informed decision. When I do my reviews I just tell people exactly what I find and think, I'm not interested in pedding BS or hyping a product because I hate when other RU-vidrs do it. Plus I like to play devils advocate since I'm a skeptical person. Another great video, thanks Andrew.

As a petrol head as well as an audiophile, you could be talking about motor journalism.

I ran across your channel a few months ago while researching stereo equipment for my new place. Recently divorced(my wife said I had a problem with too much stereo equipment) I was looking to upgrade my old system and came across a review you did. I found you informative, honest and entertaining I watched a couple more and subscribed. I do hope you can maintain your channel as I watch it even when I’m not shopping for new speakers etc. 🔊

Andrew, I appreciate your honesty. Sean from Zero Fidelity talked about how the industry works behind the scenes and he talked about why there were no negative reviews, why reviewers are reviewing the same products and you just reiterated his thoughts. From time to time Steve Guttenberg has chimed in on this as well and Steve dedication to the low, medium and highend has been extraordinary, but yes he has an agenda and that’s viewership and RU-vid revenue. This is information that needs to get out but I understand why it hasn’t because as you said people have an agenda and for the printed media it’s to make money and even for RU-vid it’s money and viewer ship as well. I’m lucky enough to have have a great dealer that has excellent service, home editions, special events where industry people come out to his store to visit, there is food at these events, drinks and there is an event once a month on the first Saturday of the month where we go to the shop for Coffee and we listen to music and talk. I understand that even though my dealer is great, he has a hidden agenda and he is still in business to make money and these events lead to sales leads, but I have no problem with anyone making money. We have an event on Feb 20th where Garth Leerer will be at the store showing us the new AMG turntable and other items and there will be plenty of food and drink. Thank you Andrew because you and Sean have shown even though everyone has a motive, there are still a few good men left. Your style Andrew matches Sean’s, there is no fancy B-roll or colors, or big special effects, just straight talk from good guys that are trying to get the truth out as both of you see fit. Thank you Andrew for being true to yourself first and true to us and I hope you have an excellent year.

Things are better now - RU-vid reviews are a great starting point compare different brands/models and to help narrow down to a product that may suit your taste instead of just a magazine or some pushy sales person but the biggest improvement are user reviews - I always check how users rate and what they say about a product before I make any purchase decision

Started watching your podcasts when you were doing The Home Cinema Experience. Let the ride continue.

What I think is vastly different then and now is physical access to sample products. When I first started obsessing over cassette decks in the 80's, I'd first look over Stereo Review (and their annual cassette deck line up) to find qualifiers in my budget. I then had several chain stores and hi-fi boutiques that each covered a range of different brands on display. "A kicking of tires" of sorts. Some travelling, but I got to sample the performance in-store (most didn't let you sample at home in my area, and still don't). Today, most of the Audio boutiques have shut down, leaving the Best Buy's of the world filling in where they can. That, and on-line purchasing offering no initial impressions aside what is offered by RU-vid reviewers. As pointed out, nothing has changed in one sense. Information and reviews are readily accessible, and more methods of distribution making more product readily available. It's the sampling process that has deteriorated requiring more weight on reviewer opinion. Naturally, access to demo products may vary depending where you live.

I'm one of your older subscribers. 67. Started in high school. Kenwood integrated, dual turntable, realistic speakers. Not TOO bad for 50+ years ago. My bedroom system has that Sony receiver got for $120, with Elac uni fi ub5 speakers got for $374. = $ 494. Using bluetooth. I also have the Micca rb42 I alternate with. $149. Sometimes I listen to my turntable. A 37 year old Denon. I have the Grado GTe+1 cartridge I bought for $15 35 years ago. Off a great review in the Absolute sound. Go figure. Still sounds great. All the new stuff I bought online never having heard. All you tube reviews. My main system has Ohm Walsh Micro towers Talls and an Outlaw RR2160 receiver crossed over at 100hz to dual svs SB3000 subs. No fancy cables. Music and video. LG OLED 65inch. Cable and You tube. All but the TV bought directly from manufacturers. Never heard them first either. Still sounds great. Approximately $4500 total. A little more with the stand as and $300 Yamaha CD player. And wires. 5k or so. Was at the Florida audio Expo last weekend. Systems from 10k to 500k +. Some I had to leave the room sounded not so good. Some sounded really good but for the price they should have. Lol But listening to Ella Fitzgerald singing These Foolish Things sounds great on any of my equipment. Close your eyes sit back and enjoy. Can enjoy at $300 or $300k. IMHO I really enjoy your channel and common sense approach to this crazy hobby. Thanks

Just found your channel. Really interesting stuff! It's really nice to hear a non-hype point of view nowadays. I look forward to browsing your videos and reading your opinions on things like headphones and IEMs.

Well said and illuminating, you broke this all down far, far better than any other youtuber ive seen attemp it.

In my opinion Andrew you are doing a fantastic job bringing people valuable information, I understand how difficult it is to put a relevant and interesting video every time with hopes that you can retain your audience and be innovative and intelligent in this area of overwhelming information. Keep up your good job.

I think the big thing that has changed is that there are less places to go and actually listen to audio gear than there used to be. I feel more dependent on reviewers.

I am not in the HiFi audio realm, never have been. Never seen your channel before RU-vid suggested it right now. But that review is spot on and applicable to so many other industries too. I have a bit of experience in the higher end car audio realm (focal, dynaudio, seas, rainbow, etc), so i have been through many of the same steps as any HiFi enthusiastic or audiophile. And the issue applies to car audio for sure. The key part that you basically glossed over is the fact that there's no more brick and mortar shops. I used to know of 4 car audio shops in a 5 mile radius where i could go test out the latest Nakamichi or Eclipse deck. None near me carried anything as high end as mcintosh, but they sure as hell beat best buy! Now there's nothing. I don't know of a single car audio shop anywhere near me. And as any audiophile knows, you need to hear the equipment in person! Technology has advanced for the better, but business is business in the end. Models change and profit margins always want to expand. So it's critical that you hear the equipment, or at least be rich enough to buy it all as a 'trial' first. I stepped out of my element a year or so ago to find myself some entry-level HiFi cans, but there's not a shop around carrying byerdynamic, Sony studio, or whatever other quality brand. So i bought 2 sets on Amazon with the intention of returning 1, but I actually ended up keeping both lol. It's annoying to have to do that though, and sometimes impossible. Where the informational aspect comes into play is the massive oversaturation of "information". Its a tiny bit of good quality information scattered throughout 100x more junk. You admitted yourself that this is how you make money, and no doubt magazines did the same. But writing and printing articles takes time, takes copyediting, takes various stages of review. Nowadays any Joe Shmoe can take their cellphone and record "expert reviews" of any given product, and they actually do it all the time. And if they're cool enough, they get a mass following followed by ad revenue. You don't even need to be competent anymore, you just need to pretend like you are. So whether it's HiFi audio, car audio, bodybuilding, plumbing, or whatever else, there's a plethora of crap to sift through online to find the real meat. With online forums dying out now, it's basically just RU-vid and other 5 second sources of information that's 99% garbage. It's frustrating, it's irritating, and it's a LOT of work to make sense of it when you're new to a topic. So yes, i definitely share that guys views and concerns.

You’re not really old enough to remember the days when print magazines were king. You didn’t even mention High-Fidelity and Stereo Review.

Interesting video as always, keep it up. I have a few opinions to make on this subject. I would agree that the information hasn't changed but how we consume information has. I would also agree that how we purchase products has changed over the years. That said, 30 years ago I wasn't aware of audiophile magazines and audiophile equipment and as such if I wanted something to play music with I would go directly to a number of local retailers and buy what I could afford. These werent specialist retailers and sold what I would now consider to be entry level equipment but of varying levels of quality and features. However, while in the store I still had access to information concerning each product and was still able to make an informed choice to some degree. These days the amount of retailers available for someone to walk into and buy equipment has decreased. While access to information has increased if someone just wants equipment to play a record on, and they don't do their research, the choice they have is limited. There is not the same number of local retailers available that sell hifi equipment and the products that are available are, in my opinion, inferior to what was available 30 years ago. There is no information in these stores regarding alternatives that would be a better purchase. There are better products available in specialist stores and at all price points, but you need to have done your research first to find out what these products are and where to get them.

I just really love your passion for audio. It seems more authentic today than yesteryear . We all can share our experiences. Bad products are revealed early and it has pushed manufacturers to make better products cheaper. Thank you for your time making videos

“Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be”........😁

Well said. I subscribed to those magazines as well. UHF Audio Guide was my favourite.

How do I shop for audio gear when there are so few audio stores around?

I appreciate the level of thought that you put into your videos. Thank you for your quality content.

Hello Andrew. I’ve been following this channel for some time. You are sincere and I enjoy and learn from what you do. My wife and I also appreciate the fact there is a female viewpoint and often wished there were more female reviewers as they can be just as good a critical listener as males. Who knows, It may also increase the popularity of hi-end audio. It’s really good to be able to see the sincerity and enthusiasm in the reviewers. Most viewers will workout who is credible or not. I certainly prefer the video reviews over the printed media. Generally you will get a greater look at the hifi equipment. You also often get a clearer view and understanding of the hifi equipment and it’s features. And your viewpoints on this particular video ring true enough for me. Thank you 😎👍

Some others here have said it and I will repeat it. This is easily the best time in history to be into audio. Never has so much great equipment been available at such affordable prices. Nope, you're not going to get Wilson Chronosonic or Gobel Divin levels of scale, dynamics, detail and realism for under a couple of grand but then the vast majority of people back in the so called golden age of audio couldn't afford the trophy systems of that time either. The difference is that they couldn't go out and get for literally one or two percent the cost of some of these high end speakers, not including the associated equipment, a entire system that embodies most of the same attributes of the aspirational models. Now, having said that, maybe it's just me but reviews, whether online or in print, are nothing more than introductions to gear I may not have heard of or may not have given any credence to before. But nobody is making me or anyone else go out and buy anything after reading the review. In any case, I don't think there are nearly as many lost sheep in need of saving from the audio wilderness as people in online audio forums like to believe. But hey, if someone does go out and buys a speaker he or she likes based on a review that you don't think is the best they could have purchased for the money, well guess what? That's just your opinion. It's not a fact no matter how strong you believe it. In the US at least almost every piece of gear that retails for, say, less than three grand can be found online with a return policy, at a store with a return policy or at a serious hi-fi dealer who often also has either return policies or store credit allowances. These stores are usually within a four hour drive of most anywhere in the country save for remote regions of Texas, Alaska, Montana or Wyoming. Unfortunately, if you live in the boonies it's still your responsibility to choose wisely. If Andrew, Steve, Zeos, Sean, Kal, John, Peter, and Julie all agree that the new Awesome Audio 300 is the best speaker under twenty thousand they've ever heard that doesn't mean you'll like it. I'm assuming (dangerous, I know) that we're all adults here. We have choices. Reviewers do not decide for us. It's our money, not theirs. It's our ears, not theirs. Which means, it's our choice to make and our fault if we buy something without hearing it and then hate it and have no way to return it. Reviews, no matter how experienced the reviewer, are nothing more than someone's opinion. You know, the thing we all seem to have when it comes to someone else's choice but for some reason can't settle on when making a choice for ourselves.

Andrew…what is your opinion of the B&W 683s2 speakers?

I just watched this video, and I want to tell you and Kristy how much I appreciate and enjoy your channel. I’ve been in the hobby for more years than you are old, and then quite a few more. It is so good to be able to share the benefits of decades of accumulated knowledge we all tend to acquire over time. We all learn from each other, and it is a never ending dance. Almost everyone is, in reality, in Customer Service, even in our non-work lives. The frictions we encounter, even when doing our best and with our best intentions, can gradually wear us down. I hope you are buoyed enough by your successes, and by the love and support in your private lives and relationships, to be able to enjoy your work for many, many years to come. And I hope that, if you ever retire, you will be able to know how much knowledge and pleasure you have shared, even though you won’t be completely aware of everyone you’ve touched.

There has been one disturbing trend among the on line viewers, especially on youtube. Folks, especially those of the younger generation who grew up with youtube, wish to make all of their judgments about hifi while sitting and surfing the net, and they will audition products by listening to them through their home desktop system. This is especially problematic when auditioning speakers, since they are listening to a recording of a speaker system that is being played back through their system. Worst part of this scenario is that many folks don't grasp the problem of this. I fear the day when the brick and mortar hifi shops all close since they cannot compete with on line sales. No longer will we be able to go to the store and actually hear in the live a component or speakers.

Thanks for a very interesting and well thought out review. I really appreciate all the time and effort that you and all the other y tube presenters put in to your productuons for our benefit

Keep up the great work! Any possibility for a $5 Find Video on the horizon? Love those.

I really do admire your professional etiquette on your videos (where the norm these days are casual)

Yep. I’m old enough that have had print magazine subscriptions to Stereo Review and High Fidelity. I still remember reading the reviews that led me to visit stores, listen to, and buy my Yamaha receiver and Paradigm speakers. Now as I shop for new speakers and integrated amps I simply do it by reading the on-line publications and watching RU-vid channels like this one. The major change has been there are no longer many stores near me where I can listen to the products I see reviewed. So in a way I now have to invest more time reading and watching reviews, and getting to know the reviewers likes and dislikes, so that I can make a more informed choice. I know most on-line retailers now include a trial period, but many still require the customer to cover return shipping costs. And even if they cover the cost, it’s still a pain to box up and send equipment back.

You can add to the "problem" that many manufacturers are moving to a direct sale only type of model, Emotiva, Schiit, and others come to mind. These companies make great products, but you can't really experience them anywhere.. They do often offer a "trial in your home" period, which can be in some ways better because it removes the "room" from the equation, but it creates a fair amount of hassle, especially if you want to A/B some equipment. Many people dont want to purchased 5 pair of speakers listen to them all and then return the 4 that they didnt like, which is what would be required to find what is truly the "best" based on your personal taste... Additionally from when I used to sell car audio equipment I can think of many times where someone would come into the shop thinking they wanted a particular brand or model only for me to show them something they never even considered and them loving it. This is a tricky industry to end up with the right product without wasting significant time and money chasing the last 10% in performance.

Well it was RU-vid videos that turned me onto the Klipsch 600M’s. Indeed I concur. Fabulous.

Great video, informative and to the point. I do feel like we purchase differently than I did when I purchased my first system in 1977 from one of the local audio shops. Walk in listen and choose by narrowing down my own preferences in the available products. I think in this regard it is more difficult to choose today. More companys to choose from with less "hands on" personal exposure for us. Thank you for your videos, job well done. keep up the good work.

“Do you wanna read or do you wanna watch something” prophetic words indeed.

Hi Andrew I appreciate the content , your honesty and your down to earth mentality. Keep up the good work.

The problem with magazines is they focus on trophy gear. The argument that the technology from trophy gear is cutting edge and will eventually filter down to budget items gets exposed as false once you learn enough about the industry. With cars you get things like dual clutch transmissions starting in cars that cost as much as a house and filtering downward in price over time. The technology in a speaker that costs as much as a house is not better than the technology in a $2k speaker. It's just trophy gear bought to show off to visitors.

Where do high end audio systems start? At what price?

Excellent question and well thought out response. I agree with both!!! However, I do think the issue is rather more complex and so whilst it can be fairly argued the status quo hasn't really changed, this is overly simplistic. As bricks and mortar stores continue to diminish, the way consumers buy their goods need to be considered. As mentioned, in days gone by consumers relied solely on a few magazines and the ability to audition/talk with a salesperson. Today, there's a multitude of sources consumers get their information - RU-vid being one only. Further, the sheer volume of reviewers taking the entire suite available has increased dramatically. Moreover, it seems consumers want all the information immediately. I have to agree with the questioner that certain products get reviewed to death. I'm not going to discuss the reasons, they've been spoken about on various channels (and perhaps here) many times. And yes, Andrew touched on some of those (far from all) in this video. Nowadays, 'entry' level gear (for want of another word), is actually very good. Think of speakers sub $500 or dacs sub $300. There's choice in the marketplace and sound quality had never been so good. Then of course there's been the rise of headphones (including iem's), streaming in all its variants all at 'entry' level prices offering great sound. This has led to a new type of consumer. Not the kind that would have read stereophile, collected it, looked back over it months later & perhaps dreamed of certain pieces of gear. RU-vidrs, many without a background in audio can nowadays start their own channels and review especially this entry level gear. Typically a company is willing to give out a loaner in this price bracket & to those established reviewers 'loaner' perhaps becomes a 'keeper' etc. So, I think today more than ever, one needs to be very careful with what they see, especially given the opportunity to audition has been greatly reduced. However, as per any consumer goods purchased there's always an element of research that's required, rather than merely listening to a few reviews and taking those as gospel. However, in this information age, the ability to reach out to somebody for advice has never been easier. Just be aware that's it's not that easy for Andrew (as an example), to recommend a certain product for you as he doesn't know you, even though you think you may know him. 😆 He may be able to say something like..."steer clear of that amp, I know it has design flaws or dubious build quality), but he can't really say you'd love 'such & such' amp. He can of course speak about his love for certain Crown amps & that's great. However, it doesn't necessarily mean you will find that love in your system. There's just way more to it and still nothing will beat a home demo. Think I've digressed....nvm...all food for though. Cheers 🎶🎶🎶

Cool video. You're teasing us with that new out-of-focus speaker in the background! :) What is that?

The industry has changed. Audio electronics was always within the reach, price wise of most people years ago but unfortunately today, the better equipment has exceeded the pay scale of most consumers. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. But the astronomic prices for amplifiers and especially speakers of the highest order give great pause for all but the very wealthy. Good review.

Very nice and reasoned video. Keep up the quality and hard work.

I think the one thing that has changed is you can sample speakers without leaving home but your still hearing them through your ol croppy speakers are whatever you have.

When is the review for those Polk Audio L800’s that you have in the background coming out?

Yep, I was a magazine reader and now a RU-vid watcher. Same dance, different tune. My preference was Stereo Review/Sound & Vision, which I'm happy still exists online. I never read much Absolute Sound but I remember picking up a few issues of their sister publication, The Perfect Vision. They made me laugh because they would review six-figure home theater systems, and in the movies section would be reviewing monaural French films on LaserDisc, even after DVD had been around a while. I'm sure they sounded great coming out of a $10,000 center speaker.

10:30 It's easy to collect RU-vid videos, copy&paste the links to your document file. This way, it would be easier to collect the information than magazines, takes up less space (and the only space it takes up is cyberspace). Way to go, what a great idea! I wish I thought of it, wait, I did, but I'm kicking myself for not thinking of that before. Now I can have a music collection (pick videos with no adds). On a lot of long play music videos there are no adds (like 50% of doof videos). Thanks Andrew for making me wake up.

I have been in this hobby for about 45 years, and 2 things have become substantially more difficult than they were 30+ years ago, finding a brick and mortar dealer at which to demo gear, and actually buying gear with poor sound quality. There are fewer dealers presumably because of the prevalence of alternative channels for such purchases, and the latter change is just because of the general increase in sq per $ in the audio world. Maybe I am deluded, but it seems to me that the cost of good sound has gone way, way down, and I very rarely hear bad gear anymore. Taste is still taste and therefor individual, but I have a power amp, preamp, dac/headphone amp, and speakers the total cost of which was just over $1k. This system, to my ears, sounds at least as good if not better than systems that cost $3-5k in 1990, in 1990 dollars. No, The Sensible Sound doesn't exist anymore, but when it comes to sound, as Carly Simon said, these are the good old days.

Andrew, could you review on Bose lifestyle systems any model if you knew it.Thks

GOOD VIDEO. I'm of the opinion that the RU-vid and online reviewer today has to be more on their game as far as pointing out not only the good but also the bad in things that they review. I've been involved in many hobbies and learned a long time ago that magazine's just about NEVER gave a really bad review to something. The writer may have written that whatever it was they were reviewing was very well suited for "X" whatever "X" was. They never really came out and said something was bad. Their editors had a hand in that I'm sure. The other thing that I looked at was which company bought the most/biggest ad space in a magazine. I also know that back in the day at least some products that went to magazines for review were tested and made the best that they could be before ever leaving a factory. That may not have been in all products but I know it happened in the firearms industry and am sure it happened in photography as well. You and the other RU-vid channels have done more to cut through the c**p in a short amount of time than in any previous era. Do your reviews make me want to spend money??? OH YEAH. Do you and the other reviewers give us all more info than the magazines of old? I believe on whole they do. Today's not a one stop shop for reviews anymore which I believe is a good thing overall. We the people that are buying gear just have to pay attention to more than one or two reviews anymore. GOOD STUFF KEEP EM COMING!

Also another thing is from that question it sounds like they are putting down current audiophiles which is a little strange for any niche area or life. Do you want the community to grow or do you just want the community to stay the same and then the niche die. Also what's considered technology has changed so much in terms of you can get uhhhhhhmazing audio now for normal people. You can get good enough that you will ever truly need for a cost effective price.

Wonderful presentation, but I prefer to read, and study about a hi fi audio product, or component before I decide to make a purchase. Then we paid for a magazine, or went to borrow it from the library - which I still do - now we pay for an Internet connection; so I get what you are saying, Andrew.

Could you do a review of the rega planar 3? If you did could I have the link for it? I'm looking to upgrade to a better turntable

My humble old opinion. I believe that you have missed the critical point of the question. Music & therefore HiFi is an experienced phenomenon. Critical opinion is derived from direct experience. With fewer opportunities to experience HiFi in person the ability to learn from comparisons is lost. A very serious problem for the entire community. I have heard "good enough" way too many times from listeners of all ages and stripes over the last decade or so. Very sad for all the lost experiences to be had as you grow your system and your appreciation of the improvements in higher fidelity. Francis Devlin

Things have changed due to the fact that there are less stores to audition products now than there were 20 or 30 years ago ..Now we research on you tube and then what take a chance and buy on line, no audition. Therefore the customer is purely purchasing a product on the say so of a particular review and not being able to confirm suitability for their actual needs. Progress ?

Starting to appreciate your videos more and more

I am troubled by pseudoscience which sells cables for tens of thousands of dollars, such as the claim skin effect must be corrected for in speaker cables, insulation storing static electricity and releasing in into the wire, keeping cables off the floor etc. Skin effect of a typical 8 gauge wire in series with 4 or 8 Ohm speakers loses only a percent of a dB over DC at 20 kHz. That is why I make most of my own amplifiers and cables. A $350,000 amplifier can be built for less than $1500 worth of close to the same parts. Tuition, if it were not waived in graduate school, in which the theory can be learned to design it yourself with a little application, costs less than what you have to pay to get nothing better, and it helps you to call the bluff of "high end" cable manufacturers and calculate whether what they claim adds up.

One of the biggest problems with RU-vid reviews is the algorithm that fires a dozen other “similar” videos into your feed. So once you have watched one review, half a dozen others will pop up, cementing the opinion that the item is worthy. That is how I stumbled on this video. It’s the same way Amazon works, it’s the same way a lot of online content works. Even some news channels only feed you the news that they think you want! I only watch online reviews to LOOK at hifi gear, not listen to reviews. The only reviewer should be your own ears. If you can’t hear any difference, do you really need that £1000 DAC?

Once again, another great video that provides insight and clarity into what really goes on behind the scenes of an audiophile reviewer...Keep up the Great work, and stay encouraged.

Hi Andrew, as a journalist I absolutely agree with you. There's much more stuff available now, but the major change has been the way it's promoted, marketed and delivered. However, if the guy who sent you the email that turned into the subject of your video blog was trying to make another important point: in all of this technological change and competition for “audiences”, are we in danger of losing totally independent reviewers? A question of trust, I guess. But when a reviewer raves about a particular product, is he or she as “independent” as you'd like them to be, or have they been offered a kickback from the manufacturer? Decent kit is not exactly cheap, so customers need to know they can trust the reviewer. It's important for the reviewers reputation, and our trust. Thanks for your videos. Always interesting. Cheers, John

Interesting. As someone who used to read magazines, buy hifi , and grew up with the flashing lights of the 70’s hifi from names like Akai, Sansui and Kenwood, I agree with the nostalgic sentiment. We miss the new technology of sigma drives with 3 speaker cables, and the updated chemical mixtures of the magnetic coatings of the latest cassette tapes of then. All this experimentation was refreshing and creates for me, the interest and pursuit. Hifi nuts were putting toilet rolls behind speakers to stop them minutely rocking, or replacing the wooden baffles with concrete. But now with reviews all being in that viewer wary “+ 10 minutes “ length where the same is repeated in numerous different ways for time filler, the nostalgia created now is to quickly turn the page or skip ahead to find the meaningful parts. The meaning parts are fewer, because the you tube magazines review the same products at the same time from the same memo. I dont know. Maybe there is room for someone to break out and stick out from the crowd. Im rolling with you at the moment Andrew. I like the taste of candidness now and then. cheers.

Love the honesty! I do hate the pessimism about everything these days... we are fortunate to be living in one of the best times in the history of man. Not only is hifi better than ever it’s so much more available, and access to info regarding hifi is better than ever. I will say I do hate the trend towards products like sound bars, blue tooth speakers and home pods (I have one) and some of the misinformation about such products... the people that tend to give glowing reviews I feel have only listened to portable devices, and never experienced a true dedicated stereo or home theater system. So yeah the home pod sounds good compared to junk, but sounds like complete junk compared to budget speakers like pioneers AJ speakers. I would love more people to experience that stuff before they ran out a by a stupid sound bar or blue tooth speaker. The only other trend that kind of stinks is closing of physical stores. I really miss the 90s we had a local store called stereo advantage it was amazing. We’re in a weird transition but u can see a trend where internet showroom stores become a thing, maybe special deals for people who check out the products... we will see, I’m rambling now though and I think for the most part everything is better than ever... recently found this channel and love it keep up the good work!

Andy, when I was growing up in the 70's in New York, I walked into a stereo dealership and on they would have soundrooms with Technics, Sansui, Sony, Pioneer, Marantz on the shelves, connected to AR, KLH, Wharfedale, etc. speakers, to compare each system of your interest. Those days are over. Today, you just choose a make and model you may be interested in, order it over the Internet and call it a day!

I totally feel your reply/sentiment on the given matter on this episode. I am practically new to the hobby, but the analogy is the same for us DJs.... that whole vinyl vs. digital topic. At the end of the day, it is how you play the cards that you're dealt with...hence there are no absolute right or wrong on this hobby. Just enjoy it as you go....taste is definitely subjective.

I think the big change is the proliferation of sources of opinion and brands. There's an entire market's worth of brands that have come and gone in less than ten years, ones with deep penetration into the mindshare of the most influential review sites. When stuff really started to move out of print onto the web a few web based review sites popped up, and the majority of the action was on forums, but forums are relatively quiet these days, and many of the ones I used to frequent require the Wayback Machine just to see. Makes me sound old, but I'm really not; the internet has been transformed by youtube.

I think the move from guys like you to RU-vid gets us more varied information from more brands. New brands that we might not hear about etc. It feels the same as print days, but I like it better.

Just wanted to thank you for your content 😊

In the sense access of quality product i.e. bang for the buck to me 2 channel audio is better and maybe that is a no brainer...I had not really thought about audio A/V marketing in the good ole days of yore versus the contemporary online presence but you make a lot of sense...things are still done the same way in hawking the product to John and Joanne Q. Public...(via guys and gals like you) There was a lotta b.s. and hogwash blown into the consumers ear...So many guys convinced me to stay away from using a subwoofer for example...the need for expensive cables...to stay away from used components yada yada yeeda yada.....and I was told to pay full price for the product the store needs that money and don't do mail order etc etc...now amazon is shipping tons of gear every day...actually the stores and the magazines and the manufacturer's had a company line for the consumer... (lock-step) ... they were in synch with the propaganda blitz.

While I agree with your point about prolific reviews then and now, I think the one point from the comment that I agree with is the fact that there are fewer "brick and mortar" stores to actually go hear new gear. The nearest thing to a "good" 80s/90s era hifi store nowadays is the Magnolia section of a Best Buy. While they do manage to carry a handful of mid-/high-end brands, they're still quite limited to what's available to demo. So as the commenter eluded to, we have to put more trust in the online reviewers to decide what we want to try. Thankfully, Amazon (and others) have decent return policies...

You're so right Andrew. Being on this business for 25 years, i couldn't agree with you more.

Well said! Being an audiophile since the 90's I can say you nailed it! I'm so glad I found your channel!

But highend today is lisen to an highres file without any nice artwork attached and suddenly got commercial in maximum volume from another app blasting highend speaker into an lowend

I think you're right on spot with that

I'm later to this party, too, just catching this and -- yes. Agreed. I know, I know, I say this all the time that we are in the best era of audio ever. This channel is an example of this. It's great to have so many voices, such a variety of voices, more than we've in the days of print, to check in with for opinion, agreement or disagreement, and on the gear side, we do have more access to more gear offer more value for money than ever. Rejoice! We have Andrew (and other good reviewers, too), and the best audio ever.

Video production & editing is a huge time consuming task for dispersing information. I used to visit stereo shops, listen to gear, be swayed by sales staff and still came away with very incomplete product knowledge. Moving from Santa Barbara to Salt Lake made it difficult to find trusted opinions in audio. I have ferreted out a few people I can trust on their opinions. This makes it no easier as hear gear in properly set up demo rooms is almost impossible, too many variables and combinations of equipment. 60 miles to the south is Wilson Audio and 80 to the north is Zu Audio and that is still no help as auditions are difficult to arrange and do not compare with "living with" audio gear for a while. For me, the most important bit of knowledge was learning how to place speakers by ear. My moto is "tune to the room". Even a properly positioned transistor radio will bloom into into a room filling dimensional audio experience once you learn what to listen for. Hans Beekhuyzen has a placement method that works by placing a loudspeaker at the listening position right where your head would be and do the "Room Crawl". Your starting position is where the room is talking with the speaker to give you good bass and clear mid and high frequency info at the locations the speakers will set. My method is a little different but gives very precise placement. Movements as small as 1/16" can be heard. When properly placed the sound field is rock solid and moving your head allows you to scan thru the instruments without moving their position. You are now hearing what the sound engineer intended for you to hear. A neighbor a few blocks away turned out to be the recording engineer for the Tabernacle Choir, we met by chance raking leaves. He listened to my system and said you have nailed it, hearing the music as the engineer. Lesson learned, optimise your system before investing in more gear. You might be surprised how good your equipment really is. Tip: sound absorbers do not work, diffraction panels scatter the bad reflections to clarify communication with your tweeters. Enjoy the Music!

Do you think media samples that made the reviewer rounds may have been better engineered, subtly upgradad compared to production ones?

my opinion doesn't really matter but Im 55 yrs young and I agree 100% with what you said here today!!

Thanks for taking your time to make great and informal videos. Magazines were great in the 80s and 90s. They brought us great photos and commentary so that we dream and strive for the best system for our personal budgets. I do agree though. I prefer to watch or just listen to a video at my desk while I work. It definitely makes it easier to do two things simultaneously like driving or work so you can still be productive and get the information at the same time. We live in crazier times. But I think we all love our cell phones and the technology of today.

You're absolutely right about clusters of product reviews going way back, Andrew. It's the print magazines of the late 70s that were responsible for the lasting reputation (and, now, inflated second-hand value) of the humble NAD 3020. One thing that's changed, I think, is the ratio of affordable : esoteric products. 40 years ago, in a ddition to a small number of high-end boutique brands, every electrical manufacturer offered a range of hi-fi from entry-level to mid-range, with some going all the way to high-end. Now there's just Denon, Marantz and Yamaha catering to the budget-conscious, while the hi-fi stratosphere is full of boutique manufacturers chasing wealthy audiophiles (and 'phools). 40 years ago, as a teen, I could afford to get onto the first rung of hi-fi audio and work my way upwards. There's precious little available now to youngsters who want better sound than streamed MP3s.

It's funny because I clicked on one of your video when I saw the name Robinson in something related to Hi-Fi. The magazine I used to read in the 90's was called Son Hi-Fi Video, in french, I live in Quebec, Canada, and a columnist answered readers' questions in the first pages of each issue of the magazine, his name was "Robinson", a pun from something we never knew for sure (probably Crusoe) and "son" (sound in french). I don't know what was his real name and the magazine ceased publication in 1997.

While the media side is the same, the availability of local dealers has definitely changed. That has taken away the option to hear for yourself

We still have magazines for stereo, technology and home theater in Sweden

Andrew, great video as usual. Look at the number of views. Obviously this one is very popular and raises different point of views. I hope that we all remain POLITE in our comments. I am convinced that this video will initiate good reflections on the subject. Thanks again.

Dealers become SALES professionals but not hifi professionals and that is part of the problem

As the previous poster mentioned, there is a lot more trust involved now a days. I'm 55 and grew up with the publications, read them, made a list of what interested me and then was able to go to one of many stereo shops in my area to hear them first hand. That isn't possible anymore for the majority of people, you can do the homework to a certain extent, but it comes down to how much you trust the reviewer now, that has a lot of weight to it more then ever, whether it be on You Tube or otherwise. And the notion of "What is the reviewer getting out of it" weighs heavy on a viewers mind when making a choice. At the end of the day your ears are your best "reviewer", but that's become a luxury. I've spent and wasted a lot of money to find out for myself if a certain piece was to my liking, good thing a lot of companies have great return policies, but the hassle involved with that process compared to what I remember from my teens, getting up on a Saturday and spending hours in a HiFi shop listening and comparing side by side, are a distant memory.

Audio equipment reviews haven't changed fundamentally because people haven't changed. Going to watch the video that pointed me here now.

Andrew! I like my music LOUD. I’m searching for speakers that deliver clear sound at high volume. Have you any suggestions? Thanks man.

Quality content. Subbed.

Also Stereo Review High Fidelity Audio and the ones mentioned Audio is the same it’s the environment has There were regional stores Tech Hifi Pacific Stereo and smaller mom and pop Now you have Best Buy or stores that you have to be a millionaire It’s what every company is facing high overhead and leading the charge is real estate then salaries health insurance and utilities and fuel have soared Now also hurting it kids today download listen to music on phones with headphones 2 channel seams to be nonexistent but not to me and this channel Back in early 80s I worked for Tech Hifi business office/warehouse and was amazed every time I went into that warehouse It’s like I was in heaven The stores packaged stereo system of what you afford or listen to different equipment and make own decisions Then you could trade up or sell your old system to a friend or in Want ad So it be impossible for a store to set up place with listening rooms give advice and the customer buys it on internet But it is nice people like Andrew give honest reviews to guide to a purchase He gave a review of Pioneer Sx 450 which was my first good systems along with numerous others along the way I still have an sx 980 with used Heresy l that sound amazing

I used to read STEREO REVIEW, but not since 1995.

There absolutely is an Audio Reviewing school. It's called SCHOOL. It starts by learning some science and electrical engineering so you can learn to throw away all of the snake oil crap, which is a big part of this business, and then learning some journalism. You can also benefit from sitting in on some recording sessions to see what really happens in this process, and to see that studios... THE STUDIOS RECORDING YOUR RECORDS... aren't filled with snake oil cables and other crap that doesn't add anything to the experience.