Stereo Review ....... I miss you

[TitaniumMan]

Mr. Hirsch also had a monthly "Tech Talk" column that covered the basics of audio. Great for newbies.

I wish someone could release the entire run of Stereo Review on some silver disc format, like the National Geographic boxed set. I'd want every page and the covers scanned.

While they're at it, why not High Fidelity and Audio magazines also?

 

[Chad Michael]

I miss my old Stereo Review magazine. I subscribed to Stereo Review , High Fidelity and Audio all at the same time.....

Same here... all 3, but SR was my favorite.

 

[soundboy]

didn't they also have some hilarious audio-based cartoons?

Yes, and also the annual caption contest for a specially created cartoon :thmbsp:

I swear, if someone put the old Stereo Review (and Audio) on CD (or flash drive), I'd buy it.

 

[bergun]

I have every issue of Stereo Review from 1980 up to now, but in its current state, or at least for the last 4-5 years, they really suck… BAD!! To be honest, I don't know how they stay afloat anymore. I hate to say it, but I enjoy Home Theater far more than Sound & Vision. PLUS it’s a monthly magazine too!!

I will have to say that S&V for about the last 4-5 months appears to be trying to turn around, but its been very slow... As for me, I'm 47 y/o and I really don't care about video games or other related "toys," but I know the experts told them to focus on the 25 to 35 y/o crowd, which is a BIG mistake!!!!! Today, the money is with the 45 plus y/o who are pretty much set in careers or retired with money to spend on gear and other retro stuff like the new Camero, Mustang, Challenger, etc...

I’m about 3-4 years from retiring from my second career and I plan to spend more time with my audio gear and basically doing everything I didn’t have the time to, including fixing up units that are in need of some major TLC. I would love to see a “retro” magazine, with professional photos and articles, that specializes in audio/video gear from the 70s,80s and 90s with reviews, profiles, tips, etc… As well as classic reviews on related stuff like music (Lps and Cds) and videos re-releases and the like.

BTW, I really miss reading both High Fidelity and Audio magazines, as well as Video and Video Review!!

BTW, I also enjoyed reading both High Fidelity and Audio magazines, as well as Video and Video Review!!

Heck, if a magazine like that should come around and survive, I would be willing to pay $10.00 plus for each issue!!

My “third” hobby is scale model building and as a kid, you only saw teens and young adults in the hobby shops back in the mid 70s/early 80s, but now, with the only few shops that are still open, its the 45y/o plus group again AND the few modeling magazines that are still out there, do focus on the 45y/o plus crowd, which is a good thing since I really don’t think that there are too many 35y/o or younger are really interested in model building anymore.

I’ve read some of the more high-end audio equipment magazines, but I never connected with any of them since I’m more of a classic silver faced Pioneer/Kenwood and black metal faced Yamaha/Denon gear type of guy… I guess I’m more of a “mid-fi” guy who wouldn’t spend more than $3,000.00 for a good (new) amplifier or receiver, but if some body would come out with a magazine that could mimic the old Stereo Review, they would have the market in their pocket!!

Well, back to reality… I’ll put this on the same “wish list” with somebody who can cosmetically fix/re-face most silver and black metal gear back to near new condition… I guess it doesn’t hurt to dream!!

BTW, I really miss reading both High Fidelity and Audio magazines, as well as Video and Video Review!!

 

[Ron Pilgrim]

I read SR and HF from the late 70's until they died. They helped me gain knowledge of th Hi Fi golden years. Audio was also great, I still have a 100 page exerpt on speakers and a plan from them for a set of unique loudspeakers. Then along came Hi Fi Sound, a Canadian rag that covered everthing from budget true Hi Fi to esoteric only in your dreams to die for equipment. I have every one of their issues from day one and about three years of their morphed identity, Ultra High Fidelity(UHF). Love going thru them from time to time. Good memories

 

[motorstereo]

My best score this year so far has been a complete library of old stereo review mags. All of the 70's and 80's are there along with lots of 90's mags. Not to mention a complete Audio magazine collection of the same era. I've got boxes of mags that I haven't even opened up yet. Page by page I'll go through each and every one of them and it will probably take me years to do it. I love the old ad's and reviews.
I'm presently reading a an audio mag from 1962. I found it interesting that they asked several pioneers at the time their thoughts on what audio would be like in 15 years from then meaning 1977. Most of them weren't very close in their predicitons except for one guy; Sherman Fairchild who pretty much nailed it right on. Great stuff these older mags.

 

[marc mc]

I think those magazines fulfilled what they set out to do. They died because they stopped making money. The audio industry and audiophile changed and they no longer mattered. And like it or not the main stream bought and used what those mags liked without ever reading a single copy. In other words they were mainstream mags and catered to a main stream audiophile whether they knew it or not.

The companies that made gear that those mags reviewed all started to produce cheaper and cheaper goods for the mass markets they pursued. Fisher, Marantz, advent, Pioneer, Sansui etc no longer saw sound quality as the goal but rather looked to enticing customers with trinkets and features.

The new test gear reviewers used was simply confirming the results that manufactures were using to promote and sell their wares and the "if it measures the same, it must sound the same" mantra was born. This produced an audiophile that used spec sheets as the primary tool in audio shopping. Convinced that specs told the tale they scoured over "wow & flutter and THD %" measurments for weeks before making a decision.

While these events were taking place there was a growing number of companies that sought more than specs and measurments and felt that sound quality was the goal of their hobby and made it the goal of thier products as well. These small companies forged a new path for audiophiles to travel and for the most part the spec sheets disappeard and the mags that relied on test measurements as the only standard disappeard as well. The downside is these new companies were headed for the most part by boomers so of course greed began to rule our hobby, and the price of everything went super nova.

marc mc

 

[AnalogDigit]

I used to subscribe to all three magazines: Stereo Review, Audio and High Fidelity. I miss Stereo Review the most. Larry Klien and the Rodriguez cartoons. Interesting the double-blind test results with different equipment they used to stage. Very controversial. Julian Hirsch was very knowledgeable in explaining audio tests, but I never could agree with his statement that all amplifiers sound the same. I do miss the Tape Talk segments with Craig Stark the most.

 

[Bstable]

I subscribed Stereo Review from 1978-1988. For some reason I saved every copy. Unfortunately about 10 years ago I got tired of them sitting around and recycled them.

I could have put them in a box, and threw them into the attic, but I just didn't see any future use for them. I did put my foam rotted EV Interface woofers in the attic, but they didn't survive a future house cleaning either. :sigh:

 

[barkerd]

The new test gear reviewers used was simply confirming the results that manufactures were using to promote and sell their wares and the "if it measures the same, it must sound the same" mantra was born. This produced an audiophile that used spec sheets as the primary tool in audio shopping. Convinced that specs told the tale they scoured over "wow & flutter and THD %" measurments for weeks before making a decision.

While these events were taking place there was a growing number of companies that sought more than specs and measurments and felt that sound quality was the goal of their hobby and made it the goal of thier products as well. These small companies forged a new path for audiophiles to travel and for the most part the spec sheets disappeard and the mags that relied on test measurements as the only standard disappeard as well. The downside is these new companies were headed for the most part by boomers so of course greed began to rule our hobby, and the price of everything went super nova.

marc mc

so the complete irony is that we went from voodoo and mumbo-jumbo...to a time when science was the basis for things .......and now we are back to voodoo and mumbo jumbo .......
I would argue that there have been a few things that have since learned to be measured (ie speaker imaging, for one) that does give more credence to the "if it measures the same" camp....in comparison to the wild a$$ed claims we now see for everything from $3000 power cords with carbon fibre plug housings, to magical circles you peel and stick onto equipment..... I pity the newbies these days : because there is no accepted tool to separate the wheat from the chaff ......

 

[marc mc]

so the complete irony is that we went from voodoo and mumbo-jumbo...to a time when science was the basis for things .......and now we are back to voodoo and mumbo jumbo .......
I would argue that there have been a few things that have since learned to be measured (ie speaker imaging, for one) that does give more credence to the "if it measures the same" camp....in comparison to the wild a$$ed claims we now see for everything from $3000 power cords with carbon fibre plug housings, to magical circles you peel and stick onto equipment..... I pity the newbies these days : because there is no accepted tool to separate the wheat from the chaff ......

So are you saying that audio started out with "mumbo jumbo?" I think you will find that Edgar Villchur, Roy Allison, Saul Marantz, Peter Walker, Alastair Robertson-Aikman and Mike Wright knew a thing or two about science.

I never said that I agree with the products or claims that are made today in much of audio. I don't buy those products nor do you. Does chrome platting make a car go faster? Do Rolex watches keep better time than a swatch? Do my sunglasses need titanium frames? Tons of stuff today is audio jewellery designed to rip people off. Welcome to planet earth buddy!. The point is take what you want and leave what you don't.

But I stand by my statement that once the big US companies sold out to the mass market. Mags like SR and Audio served no purpose and they died. The audio industry turned back to small grass roots companies, and those mags tried to rip their stuff up based on specs and not on sound and that attempt failed. And for all the rants, raves and soap box preaching those mags did. And all the attempts to save the world from the evils of audio "mumbo Jumbo" that "enlightened" university EE grades have made! It has amounted to nothing. And changed nothing. This industry is a thousand times more corrupt than Julian could have ever imagined.

BTW I am only defending peoples right to do with their money whatever the damn well legal thing they please.

marc mc

 

[zebra03]

I would be curious to know if the circulation of Sound & Vision has ever surpassed Stereo Review from their heyday. Although , I suppose S&V 's circ. is down like most magazines.

 

[corporalcripp]

I miss my old Stereo Review magazine. I subscribed to Stereo Review , High Fidelity and Audio all at the same time. First HF went and that wasn't too bad. Then Audio went away and what I missed most was the once a year Equipment guide. But when SR turned into Sound & Vision , it was just too much. I stayed with S&V because I had nothing else to read but I grew to hate it.

Is there any magazine out there that is close to what Stereo Review was ? No nonsense concise reviews of equipment , CD reviews and a spirited letter to the editor section?

Oh man,I miss SR.I had subscriptions to the others too.I remember Steve
Simel's quixotic quest for The Next Big Thing in pop.He never found it,neither did we.Some of SR music critics annoyed me,Joel Vance's trashing of Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon comes to mind.They all hated ELP but loved Yes. There were great jazz and classsical reviewers tho'.
Remember the reader service card? Circle a bunch of numbers,mail it in and get a crapload of brochures-I STUPIDLY threw my pile out years ago.
Loved the equipment reviews,even if Julian Hirsch never seemed to test a bad speaker! God,those days will never come back.......

 

[zebra03]

Oh man,I miss SR.I had subscriptions to the others too.I remember Steve
Simel's quixotic quest for The Next Big Thing in pop.He never found it,neither did we.Some of SR music critics annoyed me,Joel Vance's trashing of Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon comes to mind.They all hated ELP but loved Yes. There were great jazz and classsical reviewers tho'.
Remember the reader service card? Circle a bunch of numbers,mail it in and get a crapload of brochures-I STUPIDLY threw my pile out years ago.
Loved the equipment reviews,even if Julian Hirsch never seemed to test a bad speaker! God,those days will never come back.......[/QUOTE]

well....it's official... i'm depressed. :tears:

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

There are few magazines I've kept after reading, but of the few I did, SR was one.
I've long since cleaned the house of all those back issues, gave a complete set of Sound Practices to a friend and kept my near-complete set of Listener's. I wouldn't mind going down memory lane with Stereo Review and Rolling Stone once more.

 

[barkerd]

I think the natural progression was for audio to become more widespread from its niche hobby status in the 50's and early 60's was the standard of living increase / combined with manufacturing automation and consumerism that took off late 60's - with consumerism the price became the thing / and the hobby soon included many who really werent all that passionate about it : this (imo) was how the black plastic crap of the 80's emerged / people who didnt know the difference were into price and bells and whistles....... the reason it has become niche again / or boutique audio is (imo) all post 90's Internet ....... both in terms of places like AK (that could not exist before) as well as the number of boutique audio sellers that the Internet allows to exist ...... how many small audio suppliers would go down if there was no more internet? .....most imo

as has been pointed out : the irony with SR gone is that I think there may be demand for it again ... in a niche market .... it would be nice to see something like it again : review new audiophile stuff that isnt ridiculously price : plus have a "retro review" every month , plus something for the DIY / and collectors of vintage ....... Id definitely buy it

 

[riverrat373]

Audio Express

I miss Stereo Review too! The only audio magazine I read now is audio Express. Although Audio Express is basically a DIY mag , I wrote them and suggested that they include a vintage audio column that included solid state. I posted a suggestion in the vintage audio forum here that members write Audio Express and make the same suggestion but there wasn't much response to my post which was surprising considering how many people use that forum!

The best way to get magazine coverage of vintage and affordable audio is to write an existing mag and show them that there is a large group of people interested. I think Audio Express would be the best bet because they seem to put out a magazine because they love audio.

 

[kconnor]

I miss my old Stereo Review magazine. I subscribed to Stereo Review , High Fidelity and Audio all at the same time. First HF went and that wasn't too bad. Then Audio went away and what I missed most was the once a year Equipment guide. But when SR turned into Sound & Vision , it was just too much. I stayed with S&V because I had nothing else to read but I grew to hate it.

Is there any magazine out there that is close to what Stereo Review was ? No nonsense concise reviews of equipment , CD reviews and a spirited letter to the editor section?

I am still rereading my old SR issues. :tears:

I have all of my old Stereo Review magazines, about 35-40 years worth, and I pull them out from time to time. I grew to respect Julian Hirsch for his pragmatic and levelheaded equipment reviews. Arrogance, snobbery and one-upmanship run rampant among audio enthusiasts. I would get so tired of reading about people who change out a film capacitor for an oil filled mylar and swear that the earth moved and the heavens opened up when they turned on their system. Or even worse is describing sound as you would wine and cheese and ****.
I bought several sets of new and used speakers based his reviews and I have to say he was spot on every time. The last two were Klipsch products, the Forte 1 and the KG4. He liked them a lot and he was so right about them. Mr. Hirsch had to be somewhat charitable when he panned a bad or mediocre product. After all, advertising dollars paid the bills. But if you learned how to interpret the nuances in his product reviews, you would know without a doubt those he liked and those he didn’t care for.

 

[macman007]

Yeah-I miss em too. Tried Stereophile and S&V-both useless for different reasons.
Really miss the music reviews which were trustworthy and turned me on to some great art-The McGarrigle Sisters for example.
Stereophile lists "recordings to die for" and I get many of them-how do you spell mistake?
AV and eletist high end snake oil makes me ill!
Thanks to you for AK; I can live here.

I agree. I had Stereophile and Sound and Vision for 14 months via my daughters school magazine drive. I fond both to be a shadow of their former selves, expensive, overwhelming with useless info to the layperson/ hobby enthusiast and generally uninformative. They seem to be mostly ad driven, and the same ones every month, IMO.

I find AK does the best job when it comes to the info I need and what info I trust.It's not political, it has no agenda or attitude. I love it here!

Peace

Phil

 

[Mark W.]

Look to the internet for your reading now. All nice and free

Check out this web site for more places to read about audio then you could ever keep up with no matter how many time you take a dump at work.

http://www.dailyaudiophile.com/