Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler The reviewer rank list

So, whom do you trust? The forum’s been discussing ratings lately, and I was motivated to do this thread based on the statistical problems with rating systems and the conflicts of interest in the industry (I’d recommend watching the first one in its entirety, and skimming or ignoring the second):

https://youtu.be/h2GwZaDMa_M?list=PLyq29II3bP7Cl_6v-B4RpmGuESRNBdDIB

https://youtu.be/-k0sDfASe58

I’ll start with my rankings, feel free to use this as a template.

S: Crinacle/In-Ear Fidelity (website/YouTube)
A: Axiom Audio (YT/blog)
B: Audio Science Review (website)
C: Erin’s Audio Corner (website), rtings (website/YT), Audioholics (website), the Wire Cutter (website)
D: Stereophile, The Absolute Sound, Sound and Vision, What Hi-Fi, Audio Esoterica, Best Buys Audio & Video, Sound + Image, Stereo Sound, HiVi, Audio Art, Andrew Robinson (YT), Darko (YT), Sound Stage Network (website), The Master Switch (website), Consumer Reports (website)

Comments:
- I can only turn off my BS meter from class A and higher.
- Crinacle’s a headphone-only site, but his measurements and evidence-based philosophy is very close to Ian G Masters and Alan Lofft (the only audio reviewers I greatly respect). His site and reviews the highest honor I can give: it’s useful.
- Erin talks too much.
- I consider ASR to be a myth pusher rather than a myth buster. Amir makes mountains out of molehills by measuring stuff that doesn’t matter. I still read it to see who’s been caught with their pants around their ankles.
- Some of these magazines only exist to be slick audio porn, and like everything porn, the internet has made them free. If you have a library card, go to your library’s libby website and go wild.
- I don’t read or watch the drivel that is Class D except for the editorials from Brent Butterworth.

Your turn.

I dont put a lot of stock in online reviews in general. I think most reviewers are doucebagy and mostly driven to get views or sell stuff so they are sent more product to continue the cycle…

That said, I like Erin and Amir fine for objective reviews. Axiom Andrew is great too.

I like Tarun (A british Audiophile YT) for subjective and thematic content. Not a doucebag. Watchable.

I’m getting old I guess, but when I see a thumbnail with a shocked face and caps in the title I think WTF is wrong with society….

In the case of ASR and viewing periodically, Amir's online reviews, if anything, he certainly was able to confirm the idea of "snake oil" in expensive cables. Notably was the review and measurements of the Audioquest "Dragon" power cable which sells for $4000 that contains some gadget inserted near the plug end that the company claimed would reduce noise. When measured and compared to a normal AC cable, the mechanism claimed to reduce noise, actually added it.

Of course, the staunch audiophiles claim measurements really don't matter, one just has to listen. Maybe, however, when a company is asking for an outrageous price for a product, don't make claims that just aren't accurate which is quite common with high-end cable companies. Rarely, if at all, does one see measurements of their product and claims about superior performance compared to the average cable.

That review on the $4000 cables still makes me laugh. They added a battery pack to the cable. I think it was 2 AA batteries if I remember correctly.

Yeah, I couldn't remember what that battery pack exactly was, however, on the Audioquest website they use a $5.00 word to describe it. In any case, when describing their products, in order to impress the potential buyer, they use some terminology that doesn't seem to exist elsewhere in the field of electronics.