FAQ: rec.audio.* Mail Order 7/07 (part 10 of 13)
neid...@ti.com
Last-modified: 2007/07/12
Version: 2.17
17.0 Mail Order
Mail order is appealing. The general hope is that by using mail
order, you avoid pushy sales people, you pay fixed, discounted
prices, and you have written catalog descriptions to help you
select your purchase. In practice, most mail order today is
"phone order", in that the company completes the deal with a
phone call. Many of the "mail order" companies don't even have
price lists or catalogs. They are just retailers that are
willing to sell over the phone and ship the merchandise to
you. In some cases, retail store sales are better deals than
mail order. Don't expect the lowest price from the first place
you call. Also, don't expect excellent service from everyone,
and especially not from the company with the lowest price.
It pays to be careful. Some have reported that previously
believed reputable dealers will disappear with their money,
never to be seen or heard again. Use a credit card that has
buyer protection.
17.1 Who sells brand XXX equipment mail-order?
Consult the rec.audio.marketplace mail-order survey published by
n...@SSESCO.com (William R. Nau) or contact William Nau directly.
This survey is also available via FTP in the pub/rec.audio
directory of SSESCO.com. If you have any mail order
experiences to share, please send them directly to William Nau.
17.2 Is the stuff sold by DAK really awesome? Damark?
DAK is out of business. It is believed that DAK went out of
business because they invested too heavily in 80286 PCs as
the price and demand dropped. Dave Platt joked that the closing
of DAK resulted in the great superlative shortage of 1995,
because DAK used many wild claims in their advertisements.
Regarding Damark, their products seem to be as described, but
not necessarily bargains. In addition, there have been a
number of consumer complaints against Damark for charging
for products not ordered.
Doug Purl reports that DAK was named after and owned by Drew
A. Kaplan and that Damark is named after and owned by Drew And
MARy Kaplan, so these two companies may share more than style.
Richard Bollar did some research and came up with a different
origin for the name Damark: "The firm's moniker is a
combination of the first names of the founders, David Russ and
Mark Cohn, who had both worked at COMB, a discount mail-order
house. They became vendors to COMB, but when that company
refused to pick up some of their merchandise, they started
their own catalog business. At first they continued to sell to
their former employer, but when it forced them to decide
whether to be suppliers or competitors, Cohn and Russ decided:
they started DAMARK in 1986."
Whichever is true, be cautious when buying any product without
an audition. Ignore any wild claims or comparisons to products
costing many times more. There are many examples of excellent,
expensive products that are worth every penny, but don't sound
great. Someone could honestly claim that their product sounds
better than products costing ten times as much, yet they could
still be selling an inferior product with poor sound.
17.3 Is the stuff sold by Cambridge Sound Works really awesome? What
about the other brands of tiny satelites and subwoofers?
Many experienced listeners report that the systems sold by
Cambridge Sound Works which consist of two small satelites and
one medium sized subwoofer are a poor value if your goal is
best sound quality for the money. However, the convenience of
tiny satelites is important to some people.
Perhaps someday, someone will develop a great tiny satelite
plus subwoofer system, but all examples so far seem to suffer
from lumpy frequency response and poor reconstruction of the
stereo image. The same complaint applies to similar systems
from other makers. Some believe that it is essential to have
all of the left channel sound coming from the exact same
location for best stereo image and smooth frequency response.
This premise implies that tiny satelite plus subwoofer systems
will always be inferior.
Cambridge Sound Works also sells more conventional tower and
bookshelf systems. These, like many other speakers on the
market, are worth a listen.
However, the authors of this FAQ strongly recommend that you
ignore all recommendations and make your decision based on
your own personal listening tests.
17.4 What should I watch out for when buying mail order?
Many of the cautions mentioned in warranties (20.1) apply.
Look for a store which has been around a long time. Look for
friends which have dealt with the store and been satisfied.
Look for a store which does not lie or stretch the truth.
17.5 What is gray market?
See warranties (20.1), below.
17.6 Are there any good mail-order sources for recordings?
Alas, Noteworthy is out of business as of November 1996.
BMG and Columbia also sell CDs mail-order, but have a smaller
list of offerings and higher prices. However, BMG and Columbia
have interesting deals to entice new customers. Read the fine
print before you sign to be sure that they are right for you.
BMG and Columbia both have promotional offerings to "members"
which allow you to buy two or three discs for the price
of one. These can be very good deals, if you want what they
have. Look at their advertisements in common magazines and
Sunday newspapers for a better idea of what they carry. They
list much of their line in their ad. Don't expect much more.
For more information on BMG and Columbia, see section 10.13,
10.14, 10.15, and 10.16 of this FAQ.
Tower Records has a mail order department which also sells CDs.
Tower is a large retail chain. Many have bought from their
retail outlets happily. They do not have a catalog of their own,
but will sell you a Schwann or similar catalog and offer to get
virtually any disc out of those catalogs. Contact:
Tower Records Mail Order Department
692 Broadway
New York City, NY 10012 USA
800-648-4844 or 800-522-5445
Another source is Music New Hampshire; 800-234-8458. They sell
many $3.79 post-paid sampler CDs and also many independent label
single-artist discs. Most single artist discs are $15.00 each.
Shipping is $3 for 1-3 discs and $5 for 4-up. Their stuff is
mostly obscure artists. They have Rock, Jazz, Classical, Folk,
Country, and Children's offerings. Affiliated with CD Review.
Music New Hampshire - Wayne Green Inc
70 Route 202N
Peterborough NH 03458-1107 USA
If you like the idea of buying CDs by Modem, consider
The Compact Disc Connection
1016 East El Camino #322
Sunnyvale CA 94087 USA
Voice 408-733-0801
Modem 212-532-4045 New York City NY
312-477-3518 Chicago IL
408-730-9015 Sunnyvale CA
617-639-0238 Boston MA
Telnet cdconnection.com
They have a collection of over 120,000 CD titles. People have
said that their service is excellent. Prices are fairly good.
Shipping is $3.50 for orders under $100.00 and free for larger
orders. They do not stock anything, but deliver from the
warehouses of their suppliers. This means that some items may
be back ordered or completely discontinued while remaining in
their on-line data base. They advertise 94.2% of orders in
1992 shipped, though not necessarily immediately. You can also
get their catalog from ftp.cdconnection.com
There have been a couple of music (cd/lp) mail-order lists
compiled on the net - one older list can be found via anonymous
ftp to ftp.uwp.edu in the file: /pub/music/misc.mailorder.rmm
Someone is revising this file and it should be updated or found
in a new file name there in the future.
Another list contains vendors that specialize in progressive
rock, electronic and experimental music, is maintained by
Malcolm Humes and posted sporadically to alt.music.progressive,
rec.music.misc, & rec.music.info. This also can be ftp'd from
ft.uwp.edu, in the file: /pub/music/misc/mailorder.progressive
Federal Music and Video markets "Discount Coupon Books"
featuring two-for-one CDs and Tape deals. They require payment
with the order, which many consider risky. One company that
distributes these coupon books for Federal Music is Reed Music.
The price from Federal or Reed Music with the two-for-one deal
is comparable to the price from Noteworthy. So far, no net
user has yet related any positive or negative experience with
Reed Music or Federal Music and Video. Federal Music and Video
has been in business since 1985, so is probably legit. However,
in that they require payment in advance it is probably safer
to avoid them completely and use a discounter like Noteworthy.
Occasionally, a new dealer will pop up offering free CDs
and/or a great coupon book. They may be a dealer for Federal.
Save your money.
There is a list of mail-order music companies on the web:
http://www.razorsedge.net
Most seem to be specialized smaller dealers.
When considering mail purchases of CDs, consider shipping costs.
It is common for people to charge between $1 and $3 per disk for
"shipping and handling". This makes mail order less attractive,
but may be equally balanced by a lack of sales tax.
Get archive "mailorder.txt" from "/pub/cd" on "jammin.nosc.mil"
for a complete list of mail order music sellers.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
The information contained here is collectively copyrighted by the
authors. The right to reproduce this is hereby given, provided it is
copied intact, with the text of sections 1 through 8, inclusive.
However, the authors explicitly prohibit selling this document, any
of its parts, or any document which contains parts of this document.
--
Bob Neidorff; Texas Instruments | Internet: neid...@ti.com
50 Phillippe Cote St. | Voice : (US) 603-222-8541
Manchester, NH 03101 USA
Note: Texas Instruments has openings for Analog and Mixed
Signal Design Engineers in Manchester, New Hampshire. If
interested, please send resume in confidence to address above.
neid...@ti.com
Last-modified: 2007/07/12
Version: 2.17
18.0 Network Protocol
18.1 What are the audio newsgroups? Which group should I post to?
It is important to post to the right group. There are a few
reasons for that. First, you want to be read by people who
are knowledgable and/or interested in your topic. Second,
you want to avoid the ire of people who don't have your
perspective or won't tolerate your ignorance. The audio
newsgroups are frequented by a wide group of people, including
some outspoken experts who know their stuff and some serious
purists who won't consider lower levels as acceptable.
That said, here's the list of newsgroups and an explanation
of their content:
rec.audio: The original newsgroup, which is being phased out.
rec.audio.car: This newsgroup supports discussion on different
brands and models of car stereo, and also is an open
forum for talk about car stereo installation, speaker
selection, custom crossovers, and the special noise
problems which occur in cars.
rec.audio.high-end: This newsgroup caters to audiophiles and
serious music lovers who are interested in discussing
the subtle differences between expensive equipment, the
nuances of selecting the best cables, the love and lore
of LPs, and other details of audio that are inaudible to
the untrained ear. Currently, rec.audio.high-end is
the only group which is available by e-mail. To get
this group sent to you, contact:
audio-...@lerc.nasa.gov
This is also the only group which is moderated. This
group has specific, enforced posting guidelines.
There is no cross posting allowed to r.a.h-e. Please
read the frequently posted info on posting before
posting to r.a.h-e.
rec.audio.high-end also has a FAQ. Please obtain and
read the rec.audio.high-end FAQ before posting.
rec.audio.marketplace: Here's the place for selling and buying
equipment. This is also a good place to discuss
dealers, pricing, product sources, and models with
specific features.
rec.audio.misc: If you don't think it fits well in any other
newsgroup, post it here.
rec.audio.opinion: Everyone has opinions. Share yours here.
Not sure which is better? Ask here. Think you hear
a difference? Say it here.
rec.audio.pro: This newsgroup is dedicated to professional
audio. It includes discussion on record production,
studios, studio equipment, DJ equipment, recording
concerts, sound reinforcement, mastering, mixing,
special effects, and other topics which might apply to
audio professionals. If you are a home audio buff but
like tape recording, you can find good advice here.
rec.audio.tech: Discussion here is about audio theory, home
made audio equipment, specifications, and other
technicalities.
rec.audio.tubes: This is a group discussing tube circuits,
tube equipment, and the characteristics of vacuum
tubes in general (UK translation: Valves).
alt.home-theater-misc: Discussions of home theater, including
surround sound processing, speakers, large screen
video, and media.
If the appropriate group is not available on your server,
post to rec.audio.misc.
18.2 What network mailing lists are out there which aren't on usenet?
There is an informal group of people interested in using DAT
recorders to record "Grateful Dead" concerts. These people call
themselves "Dat-Heads" and have a daily E-Mailing List. This
is also a great resource for DAT information. They maintain an
excellent DAT FAQ with detailed information on DAT machines
and tapes. The FAQ is a bit obsolete, but still great. To
subscribe to the list, or get a copy of their faq, send a
message to:
DAT-Head...@fedney.near.net
Include one of the following as the body of the message:
SUBSCRIBE
SEND FAQ
There is also a general turntable chat mailing list. To
subscribe to this list, send a message to:
analogue-add...@maths.ex.ac.uk
asking to join the mailing list.
There is the bass mailing list, devoted primarily to low
frequency reproduction, although there is also much discussion
of general speaker building issues. To suscribe, send
subscribe bass <address> to list...@mcfeeley.cc.utexas.edu
There are two mailing lists devoted to mini-disc related issues.
To subscribe to the MD-L list, send mail to:
lists...@nstn.ca
with the following request in the body of the message:
subscribe MD-L Your Name
To subscribe to the minidisc-users list, send mail to:
minidisc-us...@steffi.dircon.co.uk
with the word ``subscribe'' as the body of the message.
There is a general interest audio mailing list sponsered by
"Sound Practices" magazine. To subscribe, mail to:
sound-...@tpoint.net
with the word ``subscribe'' as the body of the message.
There is a technical audio mailing list (hifitech) for end
users (not studio or professional). To subscribe, mail to
MAJO...@LISTS.OULU.FI As your message, type:
subscribe hifitech
The SOUND list has discussion about kits, DIY speakers, etc.
To subscribe, mail to LIST...@ACM.ORG As your message, type:
SUBSCRIBE SOUND firstname lastname
RADIO-L is an electronic dicussion forum for Digital Audio
Broadcasting. To subscribe, mail to LIST...@TC.UMN.EDU
As your message, type:
SUBSCRIBE RADIO-L firstname lastname
RADIO-L archives are available at http://magi.com/~moted/dr
DASP-L is a forum for discussion of digital acoustic signal
processing. To subscibe, mail to DASP-L-...@CESNET.CZ
18.3 Should I post a question about "XXXXXXX"?
If it isn't addressed in the FAQ and it isn't a question for
one individual, do it! However, try to post to the right
group (see above).
18.4 How can I suggest a change to the FAQ?
Send an E-Mail message to neid...@ti.com and explain
your suggestion or correction in detail.
18.5 Where is the FAQ for rec.audio.* archived?
This FAQ is available by ftp from rtfm.mit.edu in
/pub/usenet/news.answers/AudioFAQ
To get the entire FAQ from this archive, you need to
get all 13 of the following files:
part1
part2
part3
part4
part5
part6
part7
part8
part9
part10
part11
part12
part13
The FAQ is also available on the world-wide web at these sites:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/AudioFAQ/part1/index.html
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/AudioFAQ/
http://www.unik.no/~robert/hifi/faq/
http://www.lib.ox.ac.uk/internet/news/faq/rec.audio.tech.html
http://www.cs.ruu.nl/wais/html/na-faq/AudioFAQ-part1.html
http://www.ucsalf.ac.uk/cgibin/faq?AudioFAQ/part1
18.6 What does FAQ stand for?
FAQ stands for "Frequently Asked Questions". It is assumed
that a FAQ also contains FGA or "Frequently Given Answers".
The rec.audio.* newsgroups have few FGAs due to the
personalities involved and the subjective nature of audio.
For that reason, this document is called a FAQ.
18.7 Why did I get a bitter reply when I posted a simple opinion?
Some feel that rec.audio.* is populated by people with
very strong opinions. The whole audio industry is
filled with opinionated people.
However, for the most part, these people like voicing their
opinions and reading others. What may have sounded like a
severe rebuttal may have instead been an outlet for the other
person's frustrations or a challenge to you to "play the
`rec.audio' game" and back up your words with some spirit.
Be sure to stay light when reading rec.audio. Otherwise, you
are likely to take yourself and everyone else too seriously.
18.8 Can I post a "FOR SALE" notice on rec.audio?
The newsgroup rec.audio.marketplace is specifically for these
postings. Do not post For Sale to any other rec.audio.* group,
except perhaps rec.audio.high-end. Only post to
rec.audio.high-end if the item is of interest to the high-end
crowd. rec.audio.high-end is moderated, so if the post is
deemed inappropriate by the moderator, it will not post.
All For Sale posts need to have a real name and a real phone
number. It is also very valuable to include your location,
so that people can determine if shipping will be cheap or
impractical.
Usenet is not for commercial purposes, so if you are associated
with a store or other retail operation, this is the wrong
place for your advertisement. If you have some used personal
gear or something you bought and don't need, feel free to post.
If you see an advertisement for a store that has a great deal,
AND people had been asking about where to buy that item cheap,
you might want to tell the readers on rec.audio.marketplace
about it. However, avoid commercializing. Something like:
Pete's Audio has JVC PS992 for $435, which is 40%
less than anywhere else; If interested 202-555-1212.
should be fine. Avoid posting their entire price list,
or using too many superlatives. If commercialism leaks
into Usenet, it could materially hurt us all.
When posting something for sale, have a concise but complete
subject line. Come to think of it, this is good advice for
any post. Some use abbreviations like WTB (the poster Wants
To Buy) or WTS (the poster Wants To Sell). Here are some
examples of good subject lines:
Subject: WTB 100W Receiver any condition
Subject: 4Sale Power Amp PS 352 $500 San Francisco area
Subject: 4Sale Stereophile Back Issues 4/88 to 6/92
Think about who you are willing to sell to before you post.
If it is fragile or heavy, you may not want to ship it, so you
may restrict to people who are close enough to pick it up.
Use the Distribution: header to restrict your posting area.
If you will only sell to people in Texas, don't distribute it
to Australia. Check with your system administrator if you
aren't familiar with the options you have for Distribution.
Different sites have different restriction codes available.
Distribution headers don't always restrict distribution, so
it is still a good idea to include the target area in the
Subject.
Anyone buying or selling needs to understand that Usenet
contains no mechanism to protect the buyer's money or the
seller's property.
There is a frequently posted message "A Guide to Buying and
Selling on Usenet" which talks of other issues on the subject.
This is posted to news.answers as well as other newsgroups.
It is also available by ftp from "rtfm.mit.edu" in
"/pub/usenet/news.answers/radio" as file "swap-guide".
18.9 Can I cross-post? Should I cross-post?
Cross posting means sending the message/posting to more than
one newsgroup. This is more efficient than posting the same
message twice, as it stores less space on disks, takes less
time to transmit, etc. If you need to address the message to
more than one newsgroup, put all newsgroups in the Newsgroup:
line.
However, there is rarely a reason to cross-post to many of
the rec.audio.x newsgroups. If you have a repair question,
it belongs in rec.audio.tech and no where else. If you are
selling a tuner, post to rec.audio.marketplace. Want opinions
on the right cable? Post to rec.audio.opinion. Not sure?
Post to rec.audio.misc.
18.10 Are there any sites containing audio files available for ftp?
Yes. Try ftp.uu.net directory "usenet/rec.audio.high-end".
18.11 Are there any audio-specific World-Wide Web sites?
Zillions of them. Here are some places to start:
Robert's page pointing to many Audio pages
http://www.unik.no/~robert/hifi/hifi.html
Dan and Steve's Audio-Related page
http://www.qnx.com/~danh/info.html
rec.audio.* FAQ with Search Engine
http://hydra.unik.no/%7Erobert/hifi/faq/
BMG and Columbia CD Music Club Unofficial Lists and FAQ
http://www.eskimo.com/~bloo/cdfaq/toppage.htm/
Ambisonic Surround Sound FAQ
http://members.tripod.com/martin_leese/Ambisonic/
Tube related stuff
http://www.interport.net/~blackie
Speaker Repair FAQ
http://www.paranoia.com/~filipg/HTML/FAQ/BODY/F_Speaker.html
William Nau's Mail Order Equipment FAQ
http://www.ssesco.com/nau/mailorder.htm
Audio Web
http://www.audioweb.com/
neid...@ti.com
Last-modified: 2007/07/12
Version: 2.17
19.0 The Press
19.1 Which magazine should I read?
Which ever one you like. None are absolutely objective.
Here's a list of some common ones:
audioXpress ($30/yr 12 issues) (Do-it-yourself)
Note: This is the successor of Audio Amateur,
Glass Audio, and Speaker Builder Magazines
Audio Amateur Publications
Box 576
Peterborough NH 03458 USA
603-924-9464
http://www.audioxpress.com
Audio Critic (US $24/yr 4 issues) (High-end)
PO Box 978
Quakertown PA 18951 USA
215-538-9555 or 215-536-8884
audio Musings (US $24/year 6 issues)
25500 Hawthorne Blvd. Suite 1250
Torrence CA 90505 USA
Editorial Office 562-424-7911
Business Office 310-378-6011
Audio Observatory (US $15/year 12 issues)
22029 Parthenia Street
West Hills, California 91304
Audiophile Voice ($18/year 4 issues)
Subscriptions: Michael Tantillo
132 Beach Avenue
Staten Island 10306 USA
Phone 718-351-9365
Editorial Office: 2001 Palmer Ave Suite 201
Larchmont, NY 10538-2420 USA
Phone 914-833-1417
FAX 914-834-4070
Bound For Sound (US $18/yr 12 issues) (High-end)
220 North Main St
Kewanee IL 61443 USA
309-852-3022
Car Audio and Electronics ($19.95/year 12 issues)
Avcom Publishing Ltd
21700 Oxnard Street
Suite 1600
Woodland Hills CA 91367 USA
818-593-3900
CD Review (Music Reviews; all tastes, only CDs.)
$19.97 per year 12 issues
PO Box 588
Mount Morris IL 61054 USA
Hi-Fi Choice (Mid-fi. Comparative reviews with graphs,
tables, and subjective commentary;
'Buying Guide' section)
Dennis Publishing Ltd.
14 Rathbone Place
London, W1P 1DE, UK
+44 71 631 1433
Hi-Fi News and Record Review (Broad. Good new record
reviews. Good equipment measurements)
Subscriptions Department
Link House Magazines Ltd
1st Floor
Stephenson House, Brunel Centre
Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK2 2EW, UK
Hi-fi+ (Mid and high end with reviews and tweak tips)
Available in US/Canada thru Disticor outlets
Unit 12, Albany Business Park
Cabot Lane, Poole, Dorset. BH17 7BX, UK
http://www.hifiplus.com
Hi-Fi World (Friendly, lower-to-mid-fi magazine)
(reviews and "how things work" articles)
Audio Publishing Ltd
64 Castellain Rd
Maida Vale
London W9 1EX, UK
+44 71 266 0461
In Terms Of Music (Emphasizes music reviews, new)
PO Box 268590
Chicago, IL 60626 USA
312-262-5918
International Audio Review (US $38/yr, 12 issues?)
2449 Dwight Way; Box 4271
Berkeley CA 94704 USA
Positive Feedback Mag. (US $30/yr 6 issues) (high-end)
Positive Feedback
2939 N.E. 155th Avenue
Portland, OR 97230 USA
503-256-1300
Primyl Vinyl Exchange (Equipment for LP users)
(US $15/yr 6 issues, $20 International)
PO Box 67109
Chestnut Hill MA 02167
617-739-3856
p...@ma.ultranet.com
Sound Practices (US $20/yr 4 issues) (Do-it-yourself)
Box 180562
Austin, TX 78718
(512) 339-6229 Voice/Fax
7241...@compuserve.com
Stereophile (US $20/yr 12 issues) (High-end)
110 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10011 USA
800-666-3746 or 212-229-4896
Stereo Review (US $6.97/yr 12 issues. Lower end/mass
market)
Subscription Office: PO Box 52033
Boulder CO 80323-2033 USA
Editorial Office: 1633 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
212-767-6000
The Absolute Sound (US $46/yr 8 issues) (High-end)
Subscription Center: Box 6547
Syracuse NY 13217 USA
800-825-0061
Editorial Office: 2 Glen Avenue
Sea Cliff, NY 11579
516-676-2830
The $ensible Sound (US $29/yr 6 issues) (Mid/High-end)
403 Darwin Drive
Snyder NY 14226 USA
800-695-8439
e-mail Sensi...@aol.com
http://www.sensiblesound.com
Ultra High Fidelity (UHF) (High end, no advertising)
Box 65085, Place Longueil
Montreal PQ J4K 5J4 Canada
514-651-5720
What Hi-Fi (Mid-to-high End; comparative, subjective
reviews. Contains it's own buyer's guide
with recommendations)
Haymarket Trade & Leisure Publications Ltd
60 Waldegrave Road
Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 8LG, UK
e-mail ans...@whf1.demon.co.uk
+44 181 943 5000
US Enquiries should go to:
Eric Walter Associates
Box 188
Berkeley Heights NJ 07922 USA
201-665-7811
You can find e-mail addresses for many magazines at
www.audioweb.com
19.2 Which reviews are better?
Some reviews are so colorful and exciting, that they
make great journalism and fun reading. Lets ignore
these for now, even though they have their place.
Beware of reviews from magazines that advertise the same
product. The likelihood of bias is too high. Unfortunately,
that rules out 99% of the reviews in magazines.
Stereo Review has a bad reputation for loving everything
made by every advertiser. Even high-end journals such
as Stereophile and The Absolute Sound can be influenced.
A classic example of misleading reviews occurs with equipment
submitted to a magazine for review. The manufacturer may send
the editors a carefully built, adjusted piece for review. The
magazine will honestly rave about it. The manufacturer will then
send the design off-shore for more economical manufacture and
assembly, and the quality will suffer. Lower quality components
will be substituted for prime parts. Adjustments will be made
to wider tolerances or will not be made at all. The design may
be completely changed to make it more manufacturable. You will
unknowingly get a completely different piece than reviewed.
Home auditions with one or two candidates from each of a few
dealers are your best guide to be sure that you get what you
want and pay for.
19.3 Is Consumer Reports right?
Consumer Reports is the most objective testing lab we have ever
found. Unfortunately, they are also the world's least
specialized testing lab. They market their testing to the
average consumer. The average consumer will not hear some of
the subtle differences which audiophiles hear. For that reason,
Consumer Reports ignores issues that others feel vital.
Consumer Reports also insists on basing their audio testing
predominantly on lab measurements. Although lab measurements do
tell many differences between devices, interpreting lab
measurements for best sound is difficult or impossible. For
example, it is very hard to compare two speaker frequency
response curves and tell which will sound better. Some $3000
speaker frequency response curves look worse than some $600
speaker curves, even when tested in the same setup. On the
other side of the issue, Consumer Reports has improved its test
methods, and will continue to improve. Expect the accuracy of
their reviews to improve with time.
The Consumer Reports frequency-of-repair data base
is larger than any similar data base published and
can be trusted as well as any statistic.