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Audio Critic [message #859]

Fri, 24 September 2004 16:08

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18794
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Speaking of audio magazines, Akhilesh showed me a magazine he subscribed to called Audio Critic. It's another interesting publication, in my opinion, with contributors like Floyd E. Toole and Don Keele. It takes a fairly contrarian view, but all in all, I think it's an interesting read.

Audio Critic pulls no punches. A word of warning - The magazine's Editor, Peter Aczel, takes the position that the only thing that matters is the speakers. He takes the position that amps, sources, and pretty much everything else are all the same. But don't let that dissuade you from investigating this publication, even if you don't agree. The main thing I liked about it is its discussions about loudspeakers, so I wasn't put off about the "nothing else matters" view. While I don't agree that "any old amp and CD player will do," I do like the magazine's overall treatment of the subject matter.

A yearly subscription is about forty bucks for four issues.

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Re: Audio Critic [message #860 is a reply to message #859]

Fri, 24 September 2004 16:25

Manualblock
Messages: 4973
Registered: May 2009

Illuminati (13th Degree)

He was a publisher years ago but he was found to be promoting a brand of speakers called Fourier as a reviewer without divulging his personal and financial stake in the brand. Peter Aczel that is.

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Re: Audio Critic [message #861 is a reply to message #860]

Fri, 24 September 2004 17:08

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18794
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

The magazine I read was this one:

They may have been pushing something in it too, but I just found that I agreed with what was written on most pages. I felt comfortable with the author's opinions and with few exceptions, I shared their views. It's nice to find kindred spirits, and as far as loudspeaker design is concerned, these guys seemed to be thinking along the same lines. I found it to be candid and technically accurate. But you know how it is, there's always something.

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Re: Audio Critic [message #862 is a reply to message #861]

Fri, 24 September 2004 22:05

Manualblock
Messages: 4973
Registered: May 2009

Illuminati (13th Degree)

That is a pretty well documented event in audio history. What alledgedly occurred was admitted by Mr. Aczel and it resulted in the demise of the original Audio Critic published a number of years ago. His views on audio were never the issue it was his actions as reviewer that caused the problem.
I have read the old and new versions and basically you could just get old back issues of Stereo Review and get the same outlook.
Lets be honest if the contention is that all amps sound the same then by default all guitar amps must sound the same as well since they are designed to perform the same task of amplifying low level signals. So try telling the guitar players that all their amps sound the same. Good Luck.
I would add also that it is never the musicians that take that position.
Why not trust your ears? They are mighty finely calibrated transducers after all. Still cant make an instrument that can beat them for detecting minute changes in pitch. Eh?

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Fri, 24 September 2004 22:44

akhilesh
Messages: 1275
Registered: May 2009

Illuminati (3rd Degree)

I would go so far as to say it is "must" reading for any audiophile.
It's about $29 or so i think for 4 issues.
-akhilesh

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Re: Audio Critic [message #864 is a reply to message #862]

Fri, 24 September 2004 23:41

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18794
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Hi John,

I didn't pay too much attention to articles about amps, and I didn't see many, really. It was their articles on speakers I liked most.

Speaking of Stereo Review, what ever happened to them? Seemed like that was the most popular audio magazine on the shelves for a while.

Wayne

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Re: Audio Critic [message #865 is a reply to message #864]

Sat, 25 September 2004 06:24

Manualblock
Messages: 4973
Registered: May 2009

Illuminati (13th Degree)

They were bought out I beleive by Petersen Publishing, then the advertising base became ciggarrete co. and other unrelated to audio types of marketing. The reviews became advertisements really with absolutely no relevance to music or the quality of sound. Similar to Audio magazine although towards the end they tried to become relevant albeit too late to save the mag. There was a long and detailed article in one of the journals that basically assigned the problem with Audio to continuing demands by the publisher to produce better ad revenue resulting in glowing reviews of every peice they looked at.
As far as buying an obviously biased monthly ego trip, why do that, I would rather study the Pi papers and access the members of this foruum and spend my time wisely actually learning something of value; instead of propaganda from an ethically challenged crank. But that is just one mans opinion. Mine.

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Re: Audio Critic [message #866 is a reply to message #865]

Sat, 25 September 2004 07:15

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18794
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

You're the coolest, John. Thanks for your insights.

Hey, did Frank ever ask you to send the Stoetkit amp to its next destination? If not, too late to make it back here - The meeting is today in just a few hours.

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Re: Audio Critic [message #868 is a reply to message #866]

Sat, 25 September 2004 10:56

Manualblock
Messages: 4973
Registered: May 2009

Illuminati (13th Degree)

Yeah I did e-mail him concerning getting it out to you guys and he basically asked that I wait on his o'kay, unfortunatelly I am still waiting. It gave me more time with it but at this point my review is written and the unit is ready to ship, I think he mentioned FLA . Good luck on the meeting, J.R.

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Re: Audio Critic [message #872 is a reply to message #868]

Sun, 26 September 2004 17:48

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18794
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Hi John,

I imagine Florida will probably want to wait a few weeks, with all the hurricanes this season and all. It's Frank's decision, but I know people in Ohio and Canada that want to demo the Stoetkit, and seems like there were several others that mentioned they did as well.

I wish you could have been here yesterday. I rode about 6 hours through some really beautiful countryside. The Great Plains Audio Club meeting was 3 hours from my house, and it was wonderful. Being up on two wheels in good weather and through beautiful countryside is excellent, but then to follow it up with fleasant folks and good food makes the day truly wonderful.

Wayne

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