Sound & Vision magazine....?? (1 Viewer)

[Benny G]

First of all, I want to say I hope this is the right subject area to put this thread in. I didn't think anything else was better...

Anyway, does anyone have opinions on Sound & Vision magazine?? For only $6 a year for 10 issues, it couldn't be a complete waste of money, could it??

I wouldn't expect anything too awesome...but...???

Once again, sorry if this shouldn't be posted here.

 

[Steve Russell]

A lot of people will complain about S&V but it really isn't that bad, especially considering the price. I think it is aimed at a broader market than some other mags like stereophile guide to home theater. They do have some really good writers though, David Ranada is a great tech guy and usually has some really interesting articles. Tom Nousaine is a speaker and sub guru who does an excellent job testing and reviewing speakers. A lot of their how to articles are aimed at the beginner/novice and may seem oversimplified for veterans but overall it is a pretty good magazine.

 

[Charles M]

They fair pretty well. I've brought a few magazines from time to time. They usually give budget systems a fair chance IMO.

 

[KeithH]

Benny, I had no idea that Sound & Vision was that cheap. When I subscribed last year, it was about $12 for a year. At $6 for ten issues, you can't go wrong. That said, Sound & Vision is an O.K. magazine in my opinion, but not great. The problem I have with many of the US mainstream hi-fi magazines is that they like most everything they review. Someone like David Ranada will be critical of a format, a component, or some other development in the industry, but the reviews are almost always overly positive. The British magazines such as What Hi*Fi? and Hi-Fi Choice are more apt to tell it like it is. Of course, with these British magazines, you will often read about products that are not available in the US, but these magazines still make a good read. Anyway, at only $6 for ten issues, I think Sound & Vision is worth getting. At such a low price, I should renew my subscription.

 

[Peter Overduin]

I subscribe to several HT mags. ALL HT mags that accept advertising dollars will either praise products from those advertisers, or not review their products at all. S&V is probably more guilty of this than any of the other HT mags, but is indeed the only one that really tries to speak to the masses. The up side is that articles are written in a more everyday language. The down side is that reviews are not as critical or technical as you may sometimes want. From a 'generalist' point of view though; it is a good read and I enjoy it.

In actuality, if you want to find out about products, THIS is probably the best place to come! It's where I learned, long, long ago, about Paradigm and Denon and my own HT is nothing but Paradigm and Denon!

 

[Chuck Kent]

Benny: I too subscribe to several stereo and audio/video magazines (from both the US & UK.) While Sound & Vision is not (IMO) the best, it IS pretty decent. David Ranada alone is probably worth the price of the subscription.

Go for it!

 

[Vin]

Pretty good magazine IMO but I would agree with the other posters that they "seem" to like everything they review.....money talks.
The trick is learning how to read between the lines. The writers will often point out deficiencies in products that they review but they'll do it tactfully and then end the article on a positive note. Gots to keep those advertising dollars rolling in.....not that there's anything wrong with that!

 

[Jason Hammerly]

$6 sounds expensive. I got in on the audioreview.com 3 years for free thing about a year ago and am still getting them for nothing.

 

[KeithH]

Chuck, what British hi-fi magazines to you subscribe to, and if you don't mind my asking, how much do you pay a year for them? Also, how late do you get them (since they are coming from overseas)? I have thought about subscribing to What Hi*Fi? and Hi-Fi Choice, but I wonder if there is any cost advantage to subscribing over buying them at Borders or Barnes & Noble. I figure there would be, but since they coming from overseas, I figure the subscription rate would still be high. Also, I wouldn't want to get the magazines significantly later than the US bookstores get them.

 

[Luis A]

I"m not a subscriber to S&V,but I did buy it if I happened to come across it. That was until I read an article by Michael Antonoff called "Movies Behind Bars" that said he was pro P&S and "letterboxed only means not in my house". That quote was the end of the article, and the end of me ever buying this magazine again. Just like with Blockbuster "no support of OAR means no business from me".
L

 

[Brajesh Upadhyay]

Having tried all the HT mags available, I'd say S&V is pretty good. The Perfect Vision is still tops, but S&V is a good 2nd.
BTW, you guys can Link Removed for only $3.95/year! Be warned that the 1st issue takes 3 months to arrive, but the price can't be beat.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

S&V is one of the only magazines left that actually TESTS the gear the reviewers write about.

Check out the Dec 2001 edition.

They talk about 3 receivers. Sony, Denon, and Pioneer (?).

Anyway, ACTUAL TESTING shows that the Sony, even though rated comparatively with the other 2 in terms of power, is actually way underpowered when running all 5 channels.

S&V usually doesn't trash equipment, but if you read a lot of their reviews over time, you can still get a very good feeling in terms of how like equipment compares.

I personally wish they'd review slightly more high end stuff though.

I think the real trick, is to pick a batch of magazines, and read the reviews in the them all, and then kind of draw conclusions from the "big picture" view of a piece of equipment, or a manufacturer.

Some mags are better at talking about ergonomics, some are better at talking about how the equipment is made, and some are better at talking about how it sounds. But to me, talking about sound quality without measurements isn't very useful.

 

[Scott-C]

I get S&V and think it's pretty good. As others have said, David Ranada's articles are good reads.

That said, I sometimes get a feeling of "been there, done that" with magazines as a result of the speed, quality, and quantity of information available on forums such as this one. I can usually find out tons of info on a product as much as months ahead of any reviews in magazines. I understand why this happens, and still subscribe to the magazines, but it's just something I wanted to point out.

 

[KeithH]

Scott, good point about the delayed reviews in magazines. It is really frustrating to see magazines review outdated products. The British magazines are generally on top of things. I remember last year, Home Theater published a review of the JVC HR-S9600U S-VHS after it had been discontinued and replaced by the HR-S9800U. I mean, the 'S9800U was already available by mail and in stores when the 'S9600U was reviewed. Now that the 'S9800U has been discontinued, I think it's time for a review. :rolleyes

 

[Jim_C]

I'll add my voice to those saying it's pretty good. Just keep in mind the comments about positive reviews and don't believe EVERYTHING that you read in S&V. All in all a decent mag and a steal for 6 dollars.

 

[Chuck Kent]

Keith: I subscribe to Hi-Fi News (mostly 2 channel stuff) and Home Entertainment (DVD reviews and home theater.)
I have been receiving Hi-Fi News for several years. They always arrive on time (pretty much on the same schedule as a US mag) and in good condition. If memory serves, I think I'm paying around 50 pounds (approx. $75 US) per year. They had their own subscription agent in New Jersey until they sold to IPC Media (now part of AOL/Time Warner.) You can go to http://www.ipcmedia.com for subscription info.
I have been receiving Home Entertainment for a little over a year. It costs 50 pounds per year. Again, it has always arrived on time (and in excellent condition), pretty much the same as most of my other magazines. In the case of ordering HE, I went thru the website at http://www.futurenet.co.uk/futureonline/ (BTW, this is also the same publisher for Hi-Fi Choice.)
I really like both magazines. As you noted, they often scoop their US competition for new technology and the layout/editing style of nearly all UK magazines is very compelling. They may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I like them!

 

[Chuck Kent]

Keith: One other good non-US magazine I subscribe to is the quarterly Audio Ideas Guide from Canada. AIG covers both 2 channel and home theater. The editor is a man named Andrew Marshall and he has a fairly interesting writing style. He seems to have a good grasp of the technical side of things, and yet can speak plain old English. AIG is definitely not the thickest magazine I receive, but I look forward to it every 3 months. A subscription runs $25 for 2 years worth of issues. Here's the website...Link Removed

 

[Barton Lynch]

Some people are right here. It is a simple and easy to understand magazine. But, just for David Ranada and Tom Nousaine and probably Al Griffin, this magazine is worth it's price. Michael Antonoff has no room in this publication. I remember the good old days of Julian Hirsh (the days of Stereo Review) but he left not long ago. If David and Tom leave the magazine, I will have no business with it any more. HT Mag is too bland and stereophile too snob.

Just my opinion.

 

[KeithH]

Chuck, thanks for the info. I am familiar with Hi-Fi News and Home Entertainment, but I prefer What Hi*Fi? and Hi-Fi Choice. That's just me. I could probably get What Hi*Fi? and Hi-Fi Choice for $75/year or so, but the savings over the newsstand price wouldn't be that significant. Frankly, I look forward to hunting them down at Border's or Barnes & Noble, although Hi-Fi Choice is not always easy to track down.

I've also seen AIG on the newsstand, but have only thumbed through it a few times. Based on your recommendation, I should look at it more closely the next time I come across it.

 

[Greg Robertson]

Jason, I'm with you on the audioreview deal. I still can't believe I'm seeing benefits from a promo I participated in a year and a half ago.

I'll have to add in that there's no one perfect mag for this hobby. The only magazines that will post somewhat honest reviews will do so on equipment you're likely to never see or never afford.

But SandV is more than worth it at $6, or even $12. I still eagerly read through it when it comes in the mail, even though I'm not likely to use any of the info for actually getting some gear (what this forum's for). Although, as has been said, the graphs and measurements are nice to know.