Best Hometheater Mag with hardware reviews?? (1 Viewer)

[PaulW]

I'm looking for a hometheater mag that has complete hardware reviews WITH MESSUREMENTS! I dont want those they always praise the products as being awesome "the best i've heard, tight powerful bass.... blah blah"
PaulW

 

[Zacha R]

Home Cinema Choice is good for that.
I'm sure there are others..

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

Strangely enough, Sound&Vision does measurements on everything. I especially like their receiver and amplifier reviews because they actually test them for power output with all channels driven. SGHT also does measurements with amplifiers and speakers but fail miserably with subwoofers. The sub reviews that they have are of the "shook my world" variety.

 

[Ted Lee]

yeah, s&v gives specs, but that's about the only part i trust. i always read the spec section of the review at least as carefully as the subjective part.
don't get me wrong - it's one of my fave mags and i whole-heartedly recommend it. it's just that i have yet to see them say, "This sucks!"...even though it's clearly written between the lines.
i guess they have bills to pay so i can't complain much.

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[PaulW]

The PC world has MaximumPC, the hometheater world needs a MaximumHometheater!!
MaxPC with say "kick ass" or "sucks" i really want that........
PaulW

 

[Mike Burke]

I may be the minority here, but I find the rating system of Home Theater mag to be pretty good. On amps they do give all the measurements. I have bought a couple of pieces of equipment after reading reviews in it. It's too bad their actual coverage of actual H.T.'s has deminished and they created a whole seperate mag for that "H.T. Interiors" which is probably the best one out there for showing fantatsic H.T.'s!!
I subscribe to H.T., SGHT, and Audio Video Interiors. I really like SGHT (they published one of my letters in the June 2000 edition). I feel they do a really good job of covering all the bases and the reviewers are reputable. I formerly subscribed to Stereophile but MAN do they talk over my head!!! How many people really buy $40k tube mono blocks anyway????
Well that is my 2 cents.
Michael

 

[Shanthi]

I found Home Theater Mag is also good in messurements.

 

[Anthony Lobo]

Hi Paul,
The only magazine that I consider to be the best in quality for reviews and articles is Widescreen Review. They're one of the few magazines who has the cuts to point out flaws in equipment. We take their recommendations very seriously when we're looking for product lines for our company.
Like you I also get annoyed when I pick up a magazine and every product reviewed gets a 90% rating. What a disgrace.
Anthony

 

[Jason Watson]

What Anthony said! Also, The Perfect Vision is quite good. Very good actually.

 

[Jeffrey G]

The only HT magazine that I subscribe to is Sound & Vision. It has some good information, but I've been thinking the same things that you guys have. You very rarely see a negative review in S&V. It almost makes me feel like advertising is buying the reviews. It's kind of similiar to Dodge getting JD Power's top award every year and finding that Dodge is one of JD Power's biggest financial backers. I'm going to try a different mag. after my subscription runs out.
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Jeff Gossett

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

Unfortunately the reviews of amplifiers that I saw in HT magazine only tested output into 2 or 3 channels(out of 5 or 6). Also the numerical rating system is extremely reviewer dependant. I remember a Definitive Technology speaker system being rated numerically higher in performance than a California Audio Technology(CAT) system. The only problem was that the CAT system cost $100,000 and was customized to the reviewers room. I am sure that Def. Tech sounded great but I am pretty sure it wasn't better than a customized system in absolute terms.

 

[Rob Roth]

You really can't trust much of the mainstream press. S&V are whores for the advertisers; they no longer even bother hiding the fact. A favorable 'reveiew' will be followed a few pages later with - surprise- a full page ad for the equipment.
TPV is basically honest, if you learn to read between the lines. Example: They gave the B&K 307 a 2nd place finish to the Denon 5800. A couple of B&K ads appeared. TPV then damned the B&K 7250 with faint praise calling it good for film but not for music. The B&K ads disappeared. To TPV's credit they have stuck to their guns; the 307 is still recommended but the 7250 is not. However, they have m=been much too generous in some of their other reviews.
Forget about Stereophile- they are caught between their antideluvian analog subscribers and thier modern corporate masters.
I like Widescreen review, except for Gary Reber's missionary zeal and his lengthy articles on the 'best HT room in the world'. It may well be- I'm just tired of reading about it.
BTW, I subscribe to all the above- and a few others as well. My latest subscription is for the webzine published by the former audio reviewer from Widescreen, Richard Hardesty. Hardesty tells it like it is, and though he has some personal quirks I don't think he has sold out yet. Checkout his website audioperfectionist.com You can read some of his opinions and the first two issues free.

 

[Charles J P]

I am sure that Def. Tech sounded great but I am pretty sure it wasn't better than a customized system in absolute terms.

The thing is, no magazine I know rates systems absolutly, or over the course of the history of the magazine. Look at it this way. Energy take 5 systems always get pretty good numbers (say 80% of the way up whatever scale they use). I agree, how is that possible when Wilson Audio speakers get about the same rating. Its because, like cars, audio gear is ranked against competitors in its class. If you think about it, EVERY car has some MAJOR flaws when compared with something of the same nature that costs $100,000 more. I'm sure a hummer would stomp a jeep in most areas that drivers of both vehicles would be concerned, except price. Not many can afford the Hummer, and not many can afford a customized audio system of the magnitude in this review. What the reviewer is saying by giving the mega system a lower review, is that for the same money, you could do better.
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[KeithR]

I subscribe to:
HT mag (only because you get the free theater mag)
AV Interiors
SGHT
Stereophile
TAS
TPV
Widescreen review has no equipment reviews anymore...there was i think 2 this month. I read it at B&N.
S&V lost my subscription due to the positive reviews on Bose...and the fact they only review dvd players these days.
As far as you guys dissin on Stereophile and TAS (I presume), i like to read about 10k tube amps. Have you ever heard tubes? You might actually find out you like them better than all the SS stuff talked about here...I just bought a tubed Cary preamp, and it made music 2-3x as good in my system. YMMV.
KeithR

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

The thing is, no magazine I know rates systems absolutly, or over the course of the history of the magazine. Look at it this way. Energy take 5 systems always get pretty good numbers (say 80% of the way up whatever scale they use). I agree, how is that possible when Wilson Audio speakers get about the same rating.

That is fine but then, don't have numerical a numerical rating system.
I think that the quality of Stereophile reviews has gone down significantly in the past 4-5 years(I have subscribed for about 7 yrs).

 

[GregJ]

I've read most of the magazines out and believe all have there good points. Over the years I've settled on Sound & Vision as being most usefull to me. It offers a good mix of technical information and real listening reports.
Greg

 

[Steven Lin]

I got a free subscription to S&V from Crutchfield after I bought a TV through them. I'm about 7 mos. through my subscription, and my general impression is that their focus is mid-fi equipment, although you do occasionally see a higher-end equipment review now and then.
HT and SGHT seem to focus on more upscale equipment, or at least the higher-end models from a manufacturer.
So, if you're hoping to read a review about the Lexicon MC-12, I don't think you'll find it in S&V. OTOH, I'd expect HT and SGHT to review it.
[Edited last by Steven Lin on September 22, 2001 at 11:57 PM]

 

[GregJ]

Well that does sum it up pretty much. It depends on what your focus and price level are. I'm someone in my 40's with a family so my focus is so called comsumer grade equipment. I want good sound and picture so I don't feel my system is "mid-fi" but I'm not able to chase cutting edge. This is why I like Sound & Vision it fits my needs for equipment information. Someone better heeled may feel differently and go with another magazine.
Greg

 

[Kevin. W]

I just subscribed to 4 different magazines because they offer you the first 2 months free. I'll see which one I like and cancel the rest.
Kevin

 

[Steven Lin]

And what I said was not intended as a knock on S&V. They have a definite product focus, and that focus clearly fits the bill of many readers.