Differences Between North American & European Reviews

[O'Shag]

You will be a happy camper with the GS60s, especially driven by Musical Fidelity tube gear (KW500?). The GS60s are going to be clearly superior to the GS20s, even though the 20s are good. The speaker will be able to produce more of the audio spectrum with more ease and less distortion. The mid-bass performance of the GS60 (its virtually identical to the GR60 except the tweeter is supposed to extend a little higher in frequency - I found this out by talking to Monito Audio here in the US) will be fuller, richer and more impactful. This makes for a much more satisfying musical experience no matter what genre you listen to.

Oh and if you've not seen the GS60 in person, they are extremely attractive and well-finished, so your missus will be happy for that. I would go for the piano laquer black, even though mine are the rosewood veneer finish.

[Ajani]

You will be a happy camper with the GS60s, especially driven by Musical Fidelity tube gear (KW500?). The GS60s are going to be clearly superior to the GS20s, even though the 20s are good. The speaker will be able to produce more of the audio spectrum with more ease and less distortion. The mid-bass performance of the GS60 (its virtually identical to the GR60 except the tweeter is supposed to extend a little higher in frequency - I found this out by talking to Monito Audio here in the US) will be fuller, richer and more impactful. This makes for a much more satisfying musical experience no matter what genre you listen to.

Oh and if you've not seen the GS60 in person, they are extremely attractive and well-finished, so your missus will be happy for that. I would go for the piano laquer black, even though mine are the rosewood veneer finish.

I've seen the GS20 and they looked amazing, so I expect the 60 should look equally nice...

For now I'll have to work with one of Musical Fidelity's cheaper tubed gear... they based two of their latest amps on the KW550:

The A1008 (250 watts) but also just over half the price of the KW550 & the X-T100 (only 50 Watts) but about a fifth of the price.... (Actually the only amps in their current line that are not tubed are the A1 and A5.5)

For now I'm going with the GS60/X-T100 combo... years down the road I can upgrade to the A1008 and hopefully after that, the Monitor Audio Platinums

[nightflier]

Rave reviews don't necessarily mean pay offs.... just consider how many of our forum members are die-hard supporters of particular brands (Apogee, PSB, McIntosh, Dynaudio & Magnepan come to mind).... I doubt that any of these members get kickbacks from their favourite brands for constantly doing 'free advertising' for them... So I suspect professional reviewers are the same.... they fall in love with particular brands and never stop raving about them....

It's been my experience that the reason people rave about a specific brand or model that they own is simply because deep inside they don't want to know nor do they want anyone else to know that they bought something less than the best. People are like that about cars too - how many people aren't convinced that the car that they bought is the best one for you too? The fact is, most of us feel a need to legitimize our choice in gear.

Reviewers are perhaps even more guilty of this. For one, they have to justify sometimes outrageously expensive and incovenient gear to their readers (Michael Fremer's TTs come to mind). Likewise, expensive gear is less likely to be defective or lacking, thus upholding their judgment even more. Finally, the extravagance ensures that elusive 'synergy' aspect with the equally expensive gear they will likely review in the future. Therefore they must have the best and if it isn't, they need to convince the reader that it is.

And the unfairness that we as readers feel about this, should not whitewash our own foolishness for buying into it. After all, would we respect any of these reviewers if they wrote about how good those $30K speakers sounded hooked up to a $500 integrated? And what if that made-in-China no-name clone actually sounded just as good (indiscernibly so) as the one that is hand-assembled in Denmark and costs 20x as much? Well we would never read about it - the reviewer would undoubtedly find something lacking in its sound, even if it was only in his/her own mind - after all, their reputation depends on it.

Europeans tend to be a little less fooled by unusually high cost and extravagant size. Yes, there are still some who need forklifts to move their speakers, but I gather that this is highly unusual there, whereas Americans see this type of extravagance more often than Europeans do (like on TV shows such as Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous). From my own experience I know quite a few people here in SoCal who have hugely extravagant A/V rooms, whereas I know of none in Western Europe. This is my own experience, but the audiophiles I know there actually prefer small, understated, and simple-to-operate gear (albeit still expensive) - brands like Lowe, Naim, Atoll, Primare, etc. I also remember reading that AvantGarde sells more of their huge horn speakers in the North America than in all of Europe.

It's also been my experience that Europeans, even if they spend a small fortune on something, tend to own the gear longer, perhaps because after having lived through more wars and social upheavals, they have become more complacent about something that is "good enough". This is an unthinkable concept for many American audiophiles. Again, drawing from my own experience, many people here place a high priority on the resale value of something, especially if they bought it used. Not to beat a dead horse, but this is equally true for automobiles. Europeans not so much - they tend to consider the longevity of a piece of audio gear above anything else which is probably why simplicity is another primary concern (fewer things that can break down). As for European cars, the used market is so suppressed by regulation that it hardly exists anymore.

So the reviewers cater to these differences. Marantz integrated amps don't have enough buttons, lights, etc. for the American market. Likewise, the NAD higher end amps are seen as overkill and more for the "American audio palate." Naim and Creek amps, on the other hand are just the right fit for a European living room. And considering the speakers that are produced there, it does seem that they are more sensitive and geared towards those lower-powered amps, as someone else mentioned above.

Now I would almost go as far as saying that there is also some cultural elitism at play here. Those negative articles are perhaps a jab at American reviewers that are seemingly constrained by the advertising dollars that ultimately do pay for the magazine's very existence, even if those advertising dollars trickle in well after the review is written, as Ajani suggested. Subscription fees represent only a fraction of the magazine's operating costs - after all, someone has to pay for their reviewers' extravagant gear, even if they do get it at the extremely discounted reviewers' price. Yes, there is definitely some unsavory relationship here, although I don't know how else one would be able to make a commercially competitive magazine out of it. Let's remember that they are competing with Road & Track, People, and Martha Stewart on the newsstands.

And regarding the length of American articles, maybe this is simply another example of American extravagance - see, even our articles are bigger! Or perhaps it's simply that they need that much more pork to hide the fact that their conclusions are not as easy to substantiated. I love how so many American magazine articles attempt to legitimize matters by offering up some comparison with another component. They of course start out by prefacing how different that other component is (you know, comparing that MTM floorstander with a bookshelf speaker they were reviewing the week before - puuuleeeze). Perhaps this is why online review sites can't so easily get away with that, because their European readers would hang them for it?

Am I just a bit miffed by all this? You betcha. I'll admit it, I've spent a whole lot more money on gear because of seemingly great reviews than I could have. Is everything in Europe better? Absolutely not, but we should at least be willing to take the good things and make them part of what makes our country still a decent place to live. In this particular case, we can learn a thing or two about those snooty Europeans reviewers.

[Ajani]

European reviews are more accurate?

Maybe....

It's been my experience that the reason people rave about a specific brand or model that they own is simply because deep inside they don't want to know nor do they want anyone else to know that they bought something less than the best. People are like that about cars too - how many people aren't convinced that the car that they bought is the best one for you too? The fact is, most of us feel a need to legitimize our choice in gear.

There is some element of truth in that.... but I think it's way too much of a generalization to hold true all the time... Some people really just love their gear or even their cars...

Reviewers are perhaps even more guilty of this. For one, they have to justify sometimes outrageously expensive and incovenient gear to their readers (Michael Fremer's TTs come to mind). Likewise, expensive gear is less likely to be defective or lacking, thus upholding their judgment even more. Finally, the extravagance ensures that elusive 'synergy' aspect with the equally expensive gear they will likely review in the future. Therefore they must have the best and if it isn't, they need to convince the reader that it is.

And the unfairness that we as readers feel about this, should not whitewash our own foolishness for buying into it. After all, would we respect any of these reviewers if they wrote about how good those $30K speakers sounded hooked up to a $500 integrated? And what if that made-in-China no-name clone actually sounded just as good (indiscernibly so) as the one that is hand-assembled in Denmark and costs 20x as much? Well we would never read about it - the reviewer would undoubtedly find something lacking in its sound, even if it was only in his/her own mind - after all, their reputation depends on it.

It is true that it's tough for reviewers to maintain credibility, without owning some exotic and exorbitantly priced gear.... unless they stick to reviewing 'budget' components... It's unfair but it's true... same thing happens on this site, people tend to judge audio knowledge and experience by looking at the gear listed in your profile....

Europeans tend to be a little less fooled by unusually high cost and extravagant size. Yes, there are still some who need forklifts to move their speakers, but I gather that this is highly unusual there, whereas Americans see this type of extravagance more often than Europeans do (like on TV shows such as Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous). From my own experience I know quite a few people here in SoCal who have hugely extravagant A/V rooms, whereas I know of none in Western Europe. This is my own experience, but the audiophiles I know there actually prefer small, understated, and simple-to-operate gear (albeit still expensive) - brands like Lowe, Naim, Atoll, Primare, etc. I also remember reading that AvantGarde sells more of their huge horn speakers in the North America than in all of Europe.

As someone said earlier: different apartment/house sizes probably account for massive speakers not being as popular in Europe... The best small room setup I ever heard (worked perfectly in an 11' by 11' room) was comprised of all British gear from MF and MA... Now Imagine some American Brands such as Krell and Revel producing small room gear.... hmmm.... that would be interesting....

It's also been my experience that Europeans, even if they spend a small fortune on something, tend to own the gear longer, perhaps because after having lived through more wars and social upheavals, they have become more complacent about something that is "good enough". This is an unthinkable concept for many American audiophiles. Again, drawing from my own experience, many people here place a high priority on the resale value of something, especially if they bought it used. Not to beat a dead horse, but this is equally true for automobiles. Europeans not so much - they tend to consider the longevity of a piece of audio gear above anything else which is probably why simplicity is another primary concern (fewer things that can break down). As for European cars, the used market is so suppressed by regulation that it hardly exists anymore.

That's why the used market is so hot in America.... people trade out gear at speeds that would make SVI proud.... which is really kind of strange when you think about it... Reviewers spend months with a piece of gear just to write a review and then the consumers spend only a few days/weeks with a product before selling it... WTH???

So the reviewers cater to these differences. Marantz integrated amps don't have enough buttons, lights, etc. for the American market. Likewise, the NAD higher end amps are seen as overkill and more for the "American audio palate." Naim and Creek amps, on the other hand are just the right fit for a European living room. And considering the speakers that are produced there, it does seem that they are more sensitive and geared towards those lower-powered amps, as someone else mentioned above.

That rule doesn't always hold true, but I've found that to a large extent it does....

Now I would almost go as far as saying that there is also some cultural elitism at play here. Those negative articles are perhaps a jab at American reviewers that are seemingly constrained by the advertising dollars that ultimately do pay for the magazine's very existence, even if those advertising dollars trickle in well after the review is written, as Ajani suggested. Subscription fees represent only a fraction of the magazine's operating costs - after all, someone has to pay for their reviewers' extravagant gear, even if they do get it at the extremely discounted reviewers' price. Yes, there is definitely some unsavory relationship here, although I don't know how else one would be able to make a commercially competitive magazine out of it. Let's remember that they are competing with Road & Track, People, and Martha Stewart on the newsstands.

I'm sure the same kind of unsavory relationship exists with other review magazines, whether for cars or kitchen appliances... no reviewer wants to piss off their advertisers, but that doesn't mean that all reviewers are corrupt either.....

And regarding the length of American articles, maybe this is simply another example of American extravagance - see, even our articles are bigger! Or perhaps it's simply that they need that much more pork to hide the fact that their conclusions are not as easy to substantiated. I love how so many American magazine articles attempt to legitimize matters by offering up some comparison with another component. They of course start out by prefacing how different that other component is (you know, comparing that MTM floorstander with a bookshelf speaker they were reviewing the week before - puuuleeeze). Perhaps this is why online review sites can't so easily get away with that, because their European readers would hang them for it?

LOL.... I alway wonder what the point of comparing a $1,500 floorstander with a $2,300 bookshelf is.... then telling me that the floostander has better bass and dynamic range but the bookshelf is airier in the treble with more liquid midrange... ummm yeah... like duh... what I'd like to see is a comparison with some other $1500 floorstanders....

The one thing I will give some of them credit for, is comparing a lower level model with a higher level one from the same brand... e.g comparing a Revel Concerta to a Revel Studio... that's a fun comparison and tells me whether it's worth the extra dough to upgrade (well not really, but in theory anyway)

Am I just a bit miffed by all this? You betcha. I'll admit it, I've spent a whole lot more money on gear because of seemingly great reviews than I could have. Is everything in Europe better? Absolutely not, but we should at least be willing to take the good things and make them part of what makes our country still a decent place to live. In this particular case, we can learn a thing or two about those snooty Europeans reviewers.

Yep, Europe is not a better place, just different... but you can still learn alot from 'different'....

[nightflier]

LOL.... I alway wonder what the point of comparing a $1,500 floorstander with a $2,300 bookshelf is.... then telling me that the floostander has better bass and dynamic range but the bookshelf is airier in the treble with more liquid midrange... ummm yeah... like duh... what I'd like to see is a comparison with some other $1500 floorstanders....

I looked back through a few of my older magazines, and the European writers definitely do this a lot less. They also have a lot more shoot-off articles with similar models. If I'm shopping for a piece of gear, those articles would be a whole lot more useful to me in narrowing down what I will audition.

I hate to pick on Stereophile, because I do enjoy reading it, but it drives me nuts to have to read about gear in comparison to Caliburn 'tables and AvantGarde speakers. I mean even if you can afford them, they are about as impractical as they come. You'd think these people have no children, pets, dust, bad weather, thunderstorms, or overzealous cleaning people, and that their houses are mansions designed specifically for audio-auditioning. The further out there these reviewer's systems are the further they are from what people will buy. If the advertisers cared about actually selling stuff, they'd venture a comment about this. I mean how many pairs of Sentinels series speakers will Avalon Acoustics sell compared to their more down-to-earth-priced gear? If they and the magazines really cared about growing the market, they'd at least try to compare gear that most of their readers can actually afford or be able to make room for in their lives.

In the end, the reviewing of outrageously exotic gear is a disservice to this hobby. At least the European reviewers understand that a little better. And maybe this is why the market for hi-end audio is growing and more competitive there.

[3-LockBox]

There are integrated amps such as the Onkyo A-9555 which drew press for being a Class D design and sounds better than it's budget price might indicate.

Shows how long I've been out of the loop.

I didn't know that name brand mass market equipment had gone to class D design yet. I happen to own a Sonic Impact Super T class D amp and its is a killer little amp - ink black quiet, very very low distortion, and crystal clean mids and highs -- all at a whopping 10 watts per channel (yes, that's ten).

I used to own an Onkyo receiver back in the '90s, and I loved it. I kinda got away from recievers since then, and I only go 2-channel as it is. There was something synergistic between Onkyo and Polk Audio gear (still got my Polks).

Have you heard this new Onkyo?