Harry Pearson resigns from TAS

[Nat]

The early issues of TAS are interesting and fun, and not snobby at all. But after a while, TAS started getting an attitude, and I think it, and HP, are directly responsible for the prevalence of snotty know-it-all-ism that practically drove the general public out of the audio marketplace. So I find the 80s and 90s issues an unpleasant reminder of what a little twit I was myself back then.
I find the enthusiasm of AK for all sorts of stuff, even if it isn't state of the art, or whatever, to be much more appealing and human.
Clearly HP did have a good set of ears, but he didn't have much sense of proportion or humility. Nor empathy for those who had different priorities, and for whom listening to music didn't trump paying the bills and feeding a family.

 

[Bigerik]

Why should HP have cared about those people? His magazine was always about finding the best. There were many magazines that strove to show the budget side of the market. His was always about the highest of the high end. I really don't believe that one small, independent magazine was able to damage the market the way you claim. I'm sure Harry would be flattered to know that he had that sort of influence!

 

[JohnVF]

Maybe some wish it were called "The mostly ok but not altogether that fantastic sound".

 

[Art K.]

"The Absolute Blah"

Not so good.

 

[Mr. Lin]

But after a while, TAS started getting an attitude, and I think it, and HP, are directly responsible for the prevalence of snotty know-it-all-ism that practically drove the general public out of the audio marketplace.

I find the enthusiasm of AK for all sorts of stuff, even if it isn't state of the art, or whatever, to be much more appealing and human

Two sentiments I do not agree with, the second because it's more the exception here than the rule, I think.

 

[Billfort]

It was called The Absolute Sound - I like that it was focused on the absolute best sound, no holds barred - that's why I read it.

Sure, the real world for me was a whole different place but it was fun to read about the best and over the years I even got to sample some of this stuff, a few of their reviewed pieces even made it into my own system. It is interesting to 'read' about the sound of music over audio equipment then compare that to your own experience with that equipment - if you find some agreement, these old volumes can be handy tools in making informed buying decisions when this equipment turns up used and affordable.

Don't really read TAS anymore but do like having some of those old issues around.

 

[kirk57]

For them, the cost of the gear was simply not a consideration, as they really were just interested in finding the best sound, period. (This philosophy seems to be the polar opposite of most AK members)

I will admit they lost me when the cables they reviewed cost more than I paid for my car, but I still understood and appreciated what they were after.

I've also over the years allowed myself to admit that I simply didn't agree with their assessment of some gear, and that's OK too. Still, their reviews were WAY more useful IMHO than a bunch of charts and graphs that other magazines offered, along with poor reviews for pieces because they didn't have as many (useless) features as the competition.

 

[Skylab]

I thought HP's attitude leading up to, and even for a while after the Tom Martin buyout/bailout was borderline insufferable, and his writing style had become unacceptably thick and pompous. I was also a subscriber then (as I remain now) and there was a period when I fully expected TAS to fold and not fulfil their subscription obligations, not that this would have been sure big hardship.

Early TAS was great stuff, and HP was among the few and distinguished audio writers who really invented the process of describing the sound of stereos in words. But TAS was down a very bad path well before the buyout, and while it is these days a bit too much like Stereophile, given Bob Harley's being editor that comes as no real surprise. But I can't say that I will miss the latter-day HP writings.

For me, Harley and John Atkinson are both excellent, but what makes Stereophile better today is Art Dudley. I LOVED Listener, and I still like his stuff.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I write paid reviews for Innerfidelity.com, which like Stereophile is owned by Source Interlink, although I am not an employee of either.