jj@rabbit.UUCP (09/26/83)
I hate to argue about a subject as loaded with emotion as this, but CU's reports on audio equipment aren't useful for anyone who already has a stereo, or has listened to one for a while. Their testing methods are good for determining if a device functions at all, but not for determining how well. They spend a lot of time trying to reduce the performance of each piece of equipment to a single number that represents its quality, and quite a bit of time trying to generate such numbers, even though they must destroy some important information when they do so. I have to agree that the stuff in most of the audio magazines is baloney. I guess that one can look at CU, the audio magazines, and such, but the only solution is to go out and play with the equipment, and listen to the results yourself. By all means read CU first, for the part on how to deal with overbearing salesmen who automatically lie to you, and who will tell you ANYTHING in order to talk you into buying a piece of equipment. They, for the most part, don't care ifyou are happy with it, and will gladly sell you down the drain, and then not let you return your equipment like they said, pointing to the line on the sales contract that says all warantees must be in writing. In short, just remember that what comes from most salesmen has NOTHING whatsoever to do with stereo equipment, it's related only to their paycheck. A good way to buy stereos is to look at the stuff at all the chains, find some selection of items you like, and then head for the local discounter, whoever that may be, to buy the items you like. Usually you can save $$$ and vote on salesmen at the same time, that way. There ARE some good, well intentioned, salesmen, but you have to be technically competent in acoustics and electrical engineering to tell who they are. cheers