Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

    I can't speak for the others, but Stereo Review costs only $4.99
    per year for a subscription.  You almost can't go wrong - I spent
    more money just picking up the occasional issue that caught my eye
    until I wised up.
    
    Brian

    
    
    I'd vote for Compact Disc & Digital Audio Review - even though there
    are some Wayne Green Publication haters out there. I find it to
    be informative, and with the recent addition of Ken Pohlman to the
    staff of contributing editors, easy to understand technically, for
    those of us not too technically inclined. Also the reviews of recent
    CD's (along with the ads) by the readers, make it an easily readable
    publication. 
    
    Stereo Review is a fine mag for the price, but tends (like Hi-Fidelity)
    to lean toward technical trivia and high-end audio equipment. As
    for reviews, they both lack in the rock department, but are heavy
    on the classical.  Hope this helps.
    
    				The Cruiser
    
    

    
    I like most of the Magazines out there except Digital Audio. I don't
    like their equipment review. All they publish is comments, and odn't
    include any technical info to backup their comments. I've seen them
    tear down a piece of equipment which every other magazine (Stereo
    Review, Audio, High Fidility) gave nothing but highest honers to.
    They are very biased. When they don't like a company they let you
    know about it.
    
    Example:
    
    In Digital Audio they still do reviews of Altec/Lansing Model 19
    speakers. These speakers haven't been make or sold for over 4 years
    now. Why are they still reviewing them. I think it's because they
    don't like the company, and is giving them a bad review just to
    hurt the company. 
    
    In the review of these speakers they say that their frequency responce
    is smooth down to 35 hurtz. Then they go on to say that it really
    isn't that good for real low Classical Organ Music.
    
    In reviewing another speaker of the same caliber they say that it's
    frequency responce is smooth down to only 50 hurtz. Then say that
    this is excellent, because most speakers don't ever reach 50 hurtz
    and that most music which is recorded now a days rerely goes below
    50 htz. 
    
    I would stick with a magazine that isn't so biased.

    Digital Audio and Stereo Review both have sister publications that
    you've probably never seen.  Digital Audio's is called "CD Marketing"
    and is an industry trade magazine for retailers telling them the
    best ways for extracting more money from your pockets.
    
    Those two magazines also seem the most interested in hyping up CD
    in order to get more folks spening money on audio again (including
    magazines).
    
    SR is probably worth $5/yr, at least for the cartoons and ridiculous
    "they all sound the same" comments.  Stereophile and Audio are more
    informative.  Absolute Sound is entertaining reading.  Don't believe
    anything in any of them as gospel, though TAS, Stereophile, Audio
    are the better ones.

Re: .2

Stereo Review and High Fidelity tending toward end equipment?  Uh, what?
I wouldn't say this.

Here's a rag by rag set of comments:

Stereo Review: Not worth very much at all.  I subscribed for a couple of 
years and then let it lapse.  Equipment articles deal almost with mass
market merchandise such as Pioneer, Technics, Akai, etc.  Most of the 
magazine is advertisements and this shows in the reviews.  Julian Hirsch
is the guru of the "it all sounds the same" school of audio.

High Fidelity: Much the same as Stereo Review but with better cartoons.

Audio: Improving, but most of the technical articles are wriiten by the
manufacturers.  Equipment reviews are striving to maintain a balance 
between the mass-market and true audiophile gear.  Worth subscribing.

Digital Audio:  Pleanty of hype and the equipment reviews are not so 
good.  However, the disk reviews can be (not the qualifier) a guide to
CD's not to buy.  I have saved the subscription price several times over
by avoiding CD's they panned for sound (not performance) quality.

Stereophile: Not too bad.  Equipment reviews tend to be pretty good both 
in terms of equipment they review and the articles themselves.  
Blatantly pro Adcom anything.  My favorite domestic audio magazine.

The Absolute Sound:  Great humour.  These guys are so far out in space 
its hard to believe.  HP has a serious ego problem and appears to considers
himself God's audiophile representative on this Earth.  I tend to 
subscribe, get infuriated, let it lapse for a while, then resubscribe,
etc.

HiFi News and Record Review:  Nice change of pace.  I've only read a 
couple of issues from the newstand so can't comment in general.

Regards,
Bob

No mention yet of "Grammophone" magazine, published in England.
If you are primarily interested in reviews of recordings (both
performance and technical) of primarily classical music, then this
magazine blows the others away.  $33 per year for "air-speeded
delivery".

    I'd recommend Fanfare for reviews of classical music - it comes out 6
    times a year and is a great place for reviews of out-of-the-way labels
    and works.  Very comprehensive with opinionated, knowledgeable
    reviewers.  They include recordings in all formats.  It's about $18 a
    year, published in New Jersey.  Grammophone does not blow it away
    (though that's a good magazine too).

I would like to put in a good word for Stereo Review magazine.  (Not
necessarily an unbiased view from a seven year subscriber.)

The format is slick and, as has been mentioned before, the cartoons
are great.   I don't agree that there are too many advertisements.  In
fact I enjoy looking at them to see what is new on the audio scene.
The magazine has a good balance of classical and rock music reviews.
Though if you're a rocker you'd probably like to see less classical.
But I'm sure the reverse is also true.  The equipment reviews
are excellent and fun to read.  The magazine strikes a fairly good
balance between mass-market and high-end equipment reviews.  Truly
exotic equipment is rarely reviewed, however.  Educational articles
are included in almost every issue.  These are especially useful
to the beginning stereo enthusiast.

Anyone who believes that Stereo Review is pushing the CD format to
sell magazines and help its advertisers sell machines is taking a very
cynical view.  I believe the magazine's enthusiasm for CD simply
mirrors the excitement and acceptance the general public has shown
for this new format.

Previous respondents to this note have complained that Stereo Review
adheres to the "sounds the same" school of thought.  This is true,
but I find this an advantage, not the disadvantage some would claim.
It is refreshing when an audio magazine cuts through the hype and
bulls--t to get at the truth.  Stereo Review does this on a regular
basis, much to the chagrin of some audiophiles.  For the uninitiated
who don't know what we are arguing about, I will list the bones of
contention in the "sounds the same" argument.  Stereo Review has found
that:
	most amplifiers sound the same when operated within their
	design limits;
	that all CD players sound the same as long as they are in
	proper working order;
	that the fancy and expensive audiophile speaker cables do
	not out-perform standard zip cord.

Unfortunately the "sounds the same" argument is a "religious" one with
no resolution in sight.  The reader will simply have to form his own
opinion.

Enjoy whatever you choose...

-Jeff

    Re: .5
    
    Bob, I think you've got it in a nutshell!! :-)
    
    I used to get Stereo Review, but let it lapse out of boredom.  However,
    it IS cheap and probably worth it's going price.
    
    I think my next subscription entry will be to Stereophile.  I think
    it's entertaining and not as (dare I say it?) "snobby" as Absolute
    Sound.
    
    Also, Digital Audio is worth something if you remember that Wayne
    Green is the publisher, and therefore don't use it as your only
    index into reality!!  :-)
    
    				Vernon
    

    I've seen most the pubs mentioned here on the news-stands, but never
    Stereophile. Where is it published? Who carries it? Is it available
    by subscription only?
    
    Any help would be appreciated.

    I quote from the front of the magazine (ahem)...
    
    Sterophile (ISSN #0585-2544) is published monthly, except February,
    April, July, and October for $24.00 per year for U.S. residents
    by Stereophile, 1107 Early Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501.
    
    Hope that pins it down...