[Affordable$$Audio]

Hello Readers:
Affordable$$Audio's September 2008 issue is now ready for free download.  This month we introduce our new upper end section "Harmony", with reviews on the McIntosh MA6300, BESL full range speakers.  In our regular section we have the Te-con integrated tube USB amp, Polk Audio I-Sonic ES2, and the Anti-Cable digital Interconnects.  Along with a truly fascinating scientific study on Powerline noise.
Thanks for reading!!
www.affordableaudio.org

[Delacroix]

this issue also contains a review of the Wyred4Sound MC4 power amp

[saisunil]

Nice issue!

Thanks and Congratulations - it is getting better by each issue.
Keep up the good work

[planet10]

Mark,

Loose Harmony.

Stick to the original game plan.

This last issue used up 12 editorial pages that could have been filled with useful stuff (that the BESL speaker seems to use the cheap & nasty PE box for the sat enclosures was the only useful bit)

Otherwise keep up the good work. The bit at the end on power cords was particularily interesting.

dave

[MJK]

Mark,

I could not agree with Dave more. Having yet another magazine with reviews of over priced equipment is a waste and not very interesting since there are so many other competing publications. You started out as something different but I have noticed the prices of reviewed equipment has been rising lately. Most of the things reviewed in Stereophile, I did not bother renewing, were out of my price comfort range and/or not carried locally even if I was tempted. It got to the point that I was more interested in the speaker adds and thinking about how the speakers worked or considering what unique design feature they brought to the market. The reviews, the travelogues, and the waxing on about the reviewer's other components just turned me off. Not even worth the $10/year final offer to renew.

I really liked the first few issues of Affordable$$Audio where the equipment being discussed was vintage, stuff I used to own and wish I still had, or priced where I might take a chance and order it from the Internet based on the reviewer's assessment. So how about looking at a couple of different ideas that might keep this same appeal of affordability and be unique to your magazine.

1) Don't review any new piece of equipment costing more than $1000 or on rare exceptions up to $2000.

2) Review unique vintage high end equipment, that can be found on e-Bay or audiogon, that was a break through at the time it was new and still is considered competitive.

3) Assemble a few complete reference systems at different price levels, maybe $500 or $1000 or $2000 and a max of $5000, and continue to upgrade individual components as you find better performance while staying in budget. I piece might be replaced due to it being discontinued or maybe something out performs it in the reference system during a review.

4) Require manufacturer's to submit/discuss how their equipment works, what is unique, what technology separates them from the competition, how it was designed and what were the performance goals, and then during the review grade them on how successful they were. Stay away from the marketing BS and voodoo and look at solid performance features, find the unique attributes.

5) Look for the different people or products that are not in the mainstream audio community and that a big slow moving print giant magazine will pass over because they are not big enough (think dollars) or important enough to be recognized and really deserve a look see and some discussion. Take chances and cover the bizarre with a critical eye to expose or praise a product.

6) Dont be afraid to say something sucks or is over priced if it sucks or is over priced. I am tired of reading glowing reviews all the time, I become skeptical of reviewers/magazines if they never express disappointment in a product or price.

I did not want to criticize your idea without offering up something that might be constructive, in other words my own stupid ideas.

Hope that helped,

Martin

[Early B.]

Mark,

I could not agree with Dave more. Having yet another magazine with reviews of over priced equipment is a waste and not very interesting since there are so many other competing publications. You started out as something different but I have noticed the prices of reviewed equipment has been rising lately. Most of the things reviewed in Stereophile, I did not bother renewing, were out of my price comfort range and/or not carried locally even if I was tempted. It got to the point that I was more interested in the speaker adds and thinking about how the speakers worked or considering what unique design feature they brought to the market. The reviews, the travelogues, and the waxing on about the reviewer's other components just turned me off. Not even worth the $10/year final offer to renew.

I really liked the first few issues of Affordable$$Audio where the equipment being discussed was vintage, stuff I used to own and wish I still had, or priced where I might take a chance and order it from the Internet based on the reviewer's assessment. So how about looking at a couple of different ideas that might keep this same appeal of affordability and be unique to your magazine.

1) Don't review any new piece of equipment costing more than $1000 or on rare exceptions up to $2000.

2) Review unique vintage high end equipment, that can be found on e-Bay or audiogon, that was a break through at the time it was new and still is considered competitive.

3) Assemble a few complete reference systems at different price levels, maybe $500 or $1000 or $2000 and a max of $5000, and continue to upgrade individual components as you find better performance while staying in budget. I piece might be replaced due to it being discontinued or maybe something out performs it in the reference system during a review.

4) Require manufacturer's to submit/discuss how their equipment works, what is unique, what technology separates them from the competition, how it was designed and what were the performance goals, and then during the review grade them on how successful they were. Stay away from the marketing BS and voodoo and look at solid performance features, find the unique attributes.

5) Look for the different people or products that are not in the mainstream audio community and that a big slow moving print giant magazine will pass over because they are not big enough (think dollars) or important enough to be recognized and really deserve a look see and some discussion. Take chances and cover the bizarre with a critical eye to expose or praise a product.

6) Dont be afraid to say something sucks or is over priced if it sucks or is over priced. I am tired of reading glowing reviews all the time, I become skeptical of reviewers/magazines if they never express disappointment in a product or price.

I did not want to criticize your idea without offering up something that might be constructive, in other words my own stupid ideas.

Hope that helped,

Martin

I would like to comment briefly on items 1, 4/5, & 6.

1. The concept of "affordability" has already been discussed at length here in the past. Every now and then Stereophile publishes a review of an "affordable" audio product, but there's no huge outcry about it from their readers. If A$$A published primarily products, say under $,1000 (is that retail, street price, or used?) then some readers would wonder why A$$A didn't periodically publish articles and reviews of products beyond the $1,000 threshold so they can compare "affordable" products with "unaffordable(?)" ones. This is one of those, "damned if you do" issues.

4/5. That's a great idea. In fact, A$$A has already published several articles and reviews in a similar manner to what you described with folks like Brian Cheney (VMPS) and Nick Chua (Promitheus Audio). Many of the products discussed each month in A$$A are not part of the mainstream audio community.

6. I agree with your sentiment about being tired of reading glowing reviews. The reality is -- reviewers most often determine what they will review, and it's likely to be something they believe is a great product, and their review typically substantiates their initial assertion. Equipment reviews are very time intensive, so a reviewer is not likely to waste his time with a not-so-good product. For me, if a product has been out for a while and I can't find any good reviews on it (especially consumer reviews), that's a red flag. I keep moving.

 

[Mister Pig]

Vintage reviews are fun projects, I just recently completed one on the JVC XL-Z1050TN for the August issue. However there are some practical issues that can create problems with vintage reviews. First of all, the acquisition of vintage pieces is an issue. Some A$$A writers live in Portland and have access to gear from Echo Audio. Others live in big metropolitian centers, and may have a relationship with dealers who will loan gear out. But many of us are in smaller towns, and this means we would have to buy the vintage pear to review. I am not willing to spend my cash to write a review on a piece, and then hope I can move it.

Another problem with older vintage gear is determining if it is operating to specs. Who is going to bench test and refresh it? Some individuals may have the skills, and facilities to do so, and thats great. But I am not paying for a refreshing of a SAE amplifier in order to write a review of it.

With that being said, my review system could generate several "modern vintage reviews". The Jeff Rowland Model 5 amplifier, or Consumate pre-amplifier should qualify, although their cost on the used market bumps up against your pre defined limits. Also have a set of Mordant Short Performance 880 in the house. But these pieces were never considered mainstream, and any reviews would have limited application to readers.

Regarding point 4. Seperating marketing claims from technical design issues is easier said then done. Often both are entertwined. Also I have run across pieces that have weird(for a lack of a better word) marketing descriptions, but they work. These pieces do what they say they will, so I tend to faithfully portray their claims to uniqueness, cause that is fair to the reader and manufacturer. I relay what I hear, and thats the ultimate crucible for me. If you chose not to believe the description of why, well thats your perogative. And your right as a consumer.

The imposed price ceiling post is an interesting point. When inflation calculators are brought into play the vintage pieces of yesteryear were darned expensive for that period. A vintage Fisher amplifier would sell for well over 1K in that time period. So it's not fair to claim the superiority of vintage pieces, and limit the cieling for modern pieces.

Just some various musings from the Pig. But heck I am a barnyard animal, so what do I know. As always, YMMV.

Regards
Mister Pig

[jackman]

This last issue used up 12 editorial pages that could have been filled with useful stuff (that the BESL speaker seems to use the cheap & nasty PE box for the sat enclosures was the only useful bit)

Otherwise keep up the good work. The bit at the end on power cords was particularly interesting.

dave

Hi Dave,

I read the positive review of the new BESL speakers and had a chance to hear them live at Steve's house (sorry Steve I forgot your last name) and can say first hand they do NOT use cheap and nasty PE boxes.  In fact, nothing about these speakers is "cheap and nasty".  Phil builds the cabinets in house, by hand, and I cannot recall a speaker anywhere near this price range that offers this quality level and full range performance for the price of the 5's.  I also can't find anywhere in the article that mentions anything but positive atributes of the cabinets.

You may not be in the market for speakers in this price range or you may be more interested in power cord discussions but anyone who is in the market for world class speakers should at least try to audition these.  I believe Phil is going to be at the RMAF this year.  I hope people who attend the show in Colorado have a chance to see, hear and comment on the "cheap and nasty PE" speaker boxes Phil builds for his series 5's.  More importantly, I hope the people comment on the sound.  In my experience, Bamberg is one of the best speaker designers in the biz and his new Series 5's may be his best design yet. 

Cheers,

Jack

[lonewolfny42]

Hey Jack....

I believe Phil is going to be at the RMAF this year.  I hope people who attend the show in Colorado have a chance to see, hear and comment on the "cheap and nasty PE" speaker boxes Phil builds for his series 5's.  More importantly, I hope the people comment on the sound.  In my experience, Bamberg is one of the best speaker designers in the biz and his new Series 5's may be his best design yet.

He's listed.....Room 1104....

[jackman]

Hey Jack....

I believe Phil is going to be at the RMAF this year.  I hope people who attend the show in Colorado have a chance to see, hear and comment on the "cheap and nasty PE" speaker boxes Phil builds for his series 5's.  More importantly, I hope the people comment on the sound.  In my experience, Bamberg is one of the best speaker designers in the biz and his new Series 5's may be his best design yet.

He's listed.....Room 1104....

Thanks!  I hope people have a chance to hear Phil's new speakers and post their opinions.  BESL makes great speakers but, like many smaller companies, it's difficult to demonstrate their products to the masses.  I hope you have a chance to hear them at the show.  Phil Bamberg is a great guy and a very talented designer.   I'm really sad that I can't attend the show but I've too many family and work committments.  It will be fun to "experience" the show through the words and images of this site!

Cheers,

J

[planet10]

can say first hand they do NOT use cheap and nasty PE boxes.

I am glad to hear he doesn't -- he does do a credible job -- at least as far as the picture goes -- to make them resemble them, right down to the same front baffle fastener and placement, (the primary clue that lead me to "seems")

The review does, IIRC, say that the boxes are made of MDF which (many will disagree) is IMHO, a cheap & nasty material to build speakers out of.

I can't comment on the speaker because i haven't heard it... it does have XOs where my experience has shown me that, even if it is best in class, it won't be my cup of tea, and certainly at $8k *or even at the intro price) cannot be considered affordable.

dave

[Affordable$$Audio]

Hi Everyone:
Well, not surprisingly, views are mixed on our "Harmony" section.  I knew going in that some would feel we are abandoning our roots.  I can tell you flat out, that affordable/reasonably-priced gear will always be our mantra.  But the fact is that manufacturers have come to us wanting the higher priced gear reviewed.  The BESL piece is a perfect example.  I originally contacted Phil Bamberg about reviewing the BESL monitors, but after looking at the e-zine, he respected our work enough that he really wanted his full rangers reviewed.  I knew that John Hoffman had a perfect setup for them and so he got the review.

To answer MJK points:
1.  We originally started at $1k, and I still encourage the guys to look for pieces in that range.  However, so many of our readers buy used gear at a max price of $1k, which makes it $2k+ when it was new.  Therefore, I made the decision to widen the spectrum.

2. I'm constantly looking over gear that comes into Echo Audio in Portland that I can borrow.  The problem becomes that Echo can only reasonably let gear out for a week at the longest, sometimes just between Saturday afternoon to Wednesday.  Buying and then reselling on ebay takes some cash, plus one never knows if it is performing to spec.  I do have 3 vintage reviews lined up starting in November from me.

3. The writers already have rigs in that range (I have two, an SS, and a tube).  Over time they haved changed out a piece, that is why I encourage the guys to list the gear used in the review.  To build systems just for a review takes takes the cooperation of many manufacturers at the sametime which is rarely possible.

4. An interesting idea, a version that we already try by getting the manufacturers to do an email interview that we can publish.  Lots of times, when you read reviews by John, Anthony, Sean, and Patrick it's pretty obvious that a number of emails or phone calls have been made back and forth.  that explains the detail in their reviews.

5. I think we do an excellent job of covering/reviewing lesser known manufacturers, and we will continue to do so.  If you check our archives section you'll see the accuracy in my statement.  Keep in mind, the small guys can only afford to have one demo piece instead of several, therefore, we have to wait in line.

6. Like other publications we have a pretty good idea whether a product is decent or not beforehand.  The forums have a significant impact as word of mouth spreads explosively on the Internet.  I won't search out poor or marginal equipment just to show we can rip a product.  But if a poor review is the end result, then so be it. For example, I knew when Sonos came out with their music system that they really were eager to advertise with us and everybody else. I could have given them the glowing review like Stereophile and nobody would have known the difference and had pocket full of change. Instead, I pointed out a couple of flaws that I felt deserved attention and correction. Therefore, I refused to give my stamp of approval. Sonos was not happy, but my integrity was far more important than an account. Funny thing, within several months two of the three flaws were fixed in the manner I suggested, and the third was solved in a different fashion.

Finally, before I get to the three vintage reviews I have my "Harmony" level review due out next month. Even I couldn't resist the opportunity that came my way.

Thanks for the constructive and fair criticism, and the honorable/respectful way it was presented.

[mattyturner]

Slightly off topic, but it's Sept 16th and i'm curious to know what the piece of gear is that's up as a prize for designing the best new website templates?

[planet10]

But the fact is that manufacturers have come to us wanting the higher priced gear reviewed.  The BESL piece is a perfect example.  I originally contacted Phil Bamberg about reviewing the BESL monitors, but after looking at th

And why are manufacturers influencing what you review? That is only a step away from have advertisers dictate what a review says...

dave

[MJK]

Mark,

You started out different from the rest and I found that refreshing and interesting. Now based on the three responses I got from the staff, and a few of the recent reviews, it would appear in my opinion that you are conforming and becoming more like the competition. Personally, I find that a little disappointing. But it is your call so I will wait and see how it all plays out.

Martin

[mcgsxr]

I think any publication that includes a tagline about being aimed at frugal audiophiles is going to have to take a strong stand on price points somewhere.  For the record, I fully enjoy the mag, and read it every month it comes out.

As for feeling the push manufacturers to include their more esoteric (and accordingly more expensive) designs, I can live with that, so long as the reviews are legit, and it is in the Harmony section.

Do I enjoy more the reviews of the more affordable kit?  Absolutely.

Can I live with a section dedicated to more expensive gear, and perhaps the knowledge that some of the reviews in there are pushed by manufactures?  Sure, so long as the publication remains free, and the sanctity of the legitimacy of the reviews is intact.

That is where the leadership of the publication have to have clear visibility around how they do what they do, and how it impacts the brand etc.  To date, I feel that transparency is there, and I continue to be very supportive of this mag (and believe the reviews I read) accordingly.

I would not be surprised if other people had differing perspectives on it - I would expect, and welcome it, so long as the dialogue continues to be pleasant.

Dave does raise a valid point, but I can live with what he is raising, so long as there continues to be plenty of straight talk about the direction of the mag, and the reviews continue to be real.

[Affordable$$Audio]

But the fact is that manufacturers have come to us wanting the higher priced gear reviewed.  The BESL piece is a perfect example.  I originally contacted Phil Bamberg about reviewing the BESL monitors, but after looking at th

And why are manufacturers influencing what you review? That is only a step away from have advertisers dictate what a review says...

dave

Dave:
Manufacturers have the right to to decide what product of theirs is reviewed when it comes to gear they provide.  The BESL case was unique.  In other cases the manufacturers have contacted us requesting a review of a product.  I'm an open guy, and feel that our hobby needs a combination of independence and common good for it to grow again.  If that means a chance to review the on occasion something like the Emerald Physics CS2's why not.  Harmony is an off shoot of that effort.

Advertisers will never dictate A$$A, PERIOD.  First of all A$$A is not designed to make money in a realistic sense.  It is a hobby to me and the staff.  Our benefit is derived in getting to experience gear in our own homes, and sharing that experience with others.  In fact, last year after all the bills were paid, A$$A made approximately $125.  If you question it, just ask Grumpy at Audiokarma, he'll tell you this is no place to make a living unless you go at it 24/7 and have the knowledge, skills and contacts like Jeff Dorgay at TONEAudio.

Thanks for sharing your concerns.

Mattyturner: 
I'm negotiating with a manufacturer right now, hopefully, I'll know by the end of the week.

[dorokusai]

The advertisements from issue #1 to the present day have become over the top for me. That Echo ad alone irritates me all the time but I read it nonetheless. You should let them know that the marketing genius behind that, is probably out of touch with reality.

Mark and the crew @ A$$A do an excellent job and the publication is top notch but it's more of a scan for me now. The affordable mantra will segway into oblivion like most magazines when they get sent more gear for free demos.

As far as borrowing stuff, the local dealers I work with don't have such stringent time and resale constraints on gear. The time constraints certainly exist but you can't use the line that the dealer only has a limited time to offer the component. That just means overhead.

Mark

[TONEPUB]

We designed the ad for Echo, what seems to be the big problem with it?
The client was very happy with it and we used to design ads for quite
a few Fortune 500 companies in our past life.

We don't normally let other companies use the
ads that we've created, but Mark is a nice guy from the neighborhood.

What's the big deal?  If you work for Polk Audio, your company certainly
spends way more money on ads than Echo Audio does.

And you're in customer service?

For what it's worth, Mark and I are both very lucky to have a guy
like Kurt in town that is so knowledgeable and helpful when it
comes to vintage gear.  I've been buying and selling the stuff for
about 30 years now, but it's great to have someone with their ears
to the ground and also who can tell you what can and can't be repaired.

[TONEPUB]

.