This is so true. Two different people using the same headphones can find the same amp great and mediocre. It all depends on their preferences and of course the rest of their chain. It also depends on their prior experiences.
Someone trying a Feliks Echo as their first tube amp may think it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. Someone else who has experience with much higher end equipment may think the Echo just OK. Everything is relative.
That’s very true. With shows on HALT, having a good return program in place allows some in home demonstrations but unfortunately that could hamper in home demos that are not in the country of the manufacturer or a willing dealer. Tough times for sure.
Yes, and it’s a pet peeve for me.
Reviewers often don’t take the time to list their relevant history and experience so you don’t have a context for their views. Of course, it’s a pain to do each time but maybe they could have one place to list their background to reduce their workload.
They also often leave out comparisons to products at a similar price level, which is usually what potential buyers are after in the first place.
@bpcarb was asking me about my experience with these similar price point amps. And as I said, my chain was different for each, so I’m thinking about doing a post about the synergy of each chain with impressions of each with different cans
What’s so difficult, based on where a lot of people live, a lot of these similar products at a price point are not known and with no loaner program for some making comparison difficult. . I would say comparisons are extremely difficult, since the reviewer could very well have a limited set of gear, or doesn’t’ own any gear above a certain price point so a lot of people take the review as " gospel" and make their purchase based on that without looking at other choices and letting their own ears decide. Even music choice in reviews can be a positive or a negative to some. And then we have measurements, although measurements are nice from a technical side, a measurement does not replicate what an individuals ears and brain hear and comprehend. We all hear and comprehend sounds differently.
To be clear I’m talking about people who present themselves as reviewers, not regular folks who share their experiences on the forums.
I agree that good reviews are hard to do but it doesn’t change what makes for a useful review.
The pendulum has swung to the other side since the old days when the only reviews were in a print magazine and there was a limit to what could be included in a monthly publication.
Now anyone can post a video to youtube and there’s loads of questionable content. The future keeps happening!
It does present a problem, as whom do you believe, even seasoned reviewers fail to do comparisons and some seem to cater to a brand or at a price point a lot of us can’t even achieve. Like you noted " what makes for a useful review". The best reviews answer questions that a potential customer might have. In order to do this, they are usually relatively lengthy, detailed and contain accurate and honest information., but then like you noted anyone can do a review, to me its weeding out whats written or said. So many reviews on the same product these days, be it forums, YouTube, print it can get mind boggling and confusing for a person and some contradict each other in certain areas, and then you start all over on square one. .
I recently acquired Hafler HA75 DAC/tube amp (discontinued). I use it in my desktop system. I’m blown away by the sound quality, control features & output options.
