Detail...
Hi folks,
Hope you don't mind me having a bit of a ramble, as I feel I'm trying to be constructive. If however, you don't think I am, feel free to chastise me 
Anyway... I recently dug out a few back copies, as I was curious to read some reviews of some second hand kit I was looking at on ebay. Reviews found, I continued reading the mags, just for fun. What struck me was that many of the reviews seemed a little more in-depth, or "serious", for want of a better expression. They were a little more technical, and more of the article seemed to be aimed at describing the performance of the product, rather than it's features or aesthetics. This very much appealed to me.
Comparing these mags from 5,10 years ago to the current mags seemed to prove to me that things have indeed been simplified. Whereas a review from back then (of an audio product) would comment on the bass, treble, soundstaging, sonic character, etc., todays reviews seem to simply sum it up in far fewer sentences, often by prefixing "detail" with an appropriate adjective.
Many products I've read reviews of recently, ironically, lack the sort of "detail" I'm looking for to aid my purchasing decisions. But I happily bought a Rotel 951, Nad C320, Qnect cables and more a decade or so ago without hearing them. Every query I had about the products was covered in their reviews.
The "Temptations" reviews I enjoy very much, and would love to see more of that sort of thing in the mag, for two reasons. One, it's always nice to see what you may one day be able to afford, and two, that these reviews seem a little more "techie", as possibly to consider such an item you'd have to be somewhat of an enthusiast ?
I guess times change, and the mag has to too. I understand that the typical AV buyer of the 00's probably has far less technical knowledge than your typical AV buyer of the 90's, and therefore you have to cater to that. But I just can't help feeling that there's a middle ground between the "friendly" sort of AV mags like yourself, and the stat based ones which require a degree of some sort to fathom out the review !
Anyway, I'll stop rambling now, and hope that I haven't come across too harshly. I appreciate you need to appeal to everyone, and the readership figures prove you're doing rather well on that front. I know that it's impossible to please all of the people all of the time, I just feel that maybe you could please more of the people some of the time ? 
Stopping rambling now, definitely. If I'm hopelessly deluded, I'm happy to be told so. I remain a buyer (should be subscriber, any HDMI's left ?!) and I continue to look forward to the release of each mag more than is really normal for a 32 year old.
Thanks for reading. Cheers !
No chastisement forthcoming - feedback is vital for us, and I understand your standpoint.
You can rest assured that no less time and effort is put into the tests we run, even if we subsequently publish slightly shorter reviews thanks to the pressure to include a far wider range of products in each issue (the amount of home entertainment options having vastly increased over the past 5-6 years).
However, our planned website redevelopment - due in a few months time - will allow us to revisit the length and style of our reviews (online and in the magazine), so watch this space! I think you'll be a happy man
I can't wait for the new website! But I have 2 questions,
1) Any guestimate on when it's going to be launched? (I seem to have april this year as the date, but I may be thinking of something else?)
2) Is it going to be something you have to subscribe too, to get the full benifit? (From what i've read over recent months, its going to be quite substantial, just wondering how its going to make financial sense on the business side?)
Cheers!!!!
I can't wait for the new website! But I have 2 questions,
1) Any guestimate on when it's going to be launched? (I seem to have april this year as the date, but I may be thinking of something else?)
Fingers-crossed it'll be late-April - though we're packing so much into it, it could slip into May. Design is all now signed-off and developers are coding like crazy, content's being whipped into shape and lots of new features being created. All very exciting stuff (who needs sleep!)
2) Is it going to be something you have to subscribe too, to get the full benifit? (From what i've read over recent months, its going to be quite substantial, just wondering how its going to make financial sense on the business side?)
It will be free to all, though (as now) you'll still need to sign-up to add comments to news and Forums. And to add your own user reviews of products.
Re financial side of things - not my department (I just spend the cash!), but I know the site will carry advertising, just as the magazine and the current site does.
Thanks Clare! I really can't wait!! so if it is going to be free, will that not stop many 1 time buyers of the magazine, will they not just find out what they need, best TV ect, on the website and not by the mag?
Which kinda leads me on to another question, what do you think the split is between subscribers, people who buy every month and people who just buy the odd copy evry time the need a new piece of equipment?
Cheers!
No great secret - you can look up the sales and subscription data at www.abc.org.uk. Click the 'ABC data' tab at the top left, and you can find all the information you're after.
Thanks very much for your speedy reply Clare, at a weekend too !
I didn't think for a minute that less effort went in to the review, rather it just seemed to me that a bit less came out. If this is because of space constraints due to the amount you have to fit in the mag nowadays, I fully understand. I suppose I can't really blame you for all the iPod docks that come out nowadays, or for the amount of people that continue to buy them !
Ah, that I shall look forward to with great anticipation !
Hi Andrew, just tried it but it said i wasn't a member or something? Not to worry its not important.
cheers
You don't have to be - it's all publicly available
OK, headline numbers:
01-Jan-2006 to 31-Dec-2006 (latest figures currently
available)
What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision
ABC Primary figure 61,494
Of which 54,118 UK/ROI, 7,376 rest of world
8,780 subscriptions
For comparison, Hi-Fi Choice primary is 11,567, of which 7,029
UK/ROI, 4,538 rest of world
2,203 subscriptions
Hi-Fi News primary 13,176, of which 8,259 UK/ROI and 4,917
rest of world
3,213 susbcriptions
Home Cinema Choice 13,492, of which 12,409 UK/ROI, 1,083 rest
of world
2,188 subscriptions
What Video and High Definition TV 16,207, of which 15,748
UK/ROI, 459 rest of world
1,560 subscriptions
Enough numbers now?
Yeah cheers! You guys really do kick butt!
And that's without our expanding family of international editions, which sell many thousands more...
Greetings going out to readers of What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision India, South Africa, France, Spain, Korea, Indonesia, Russia and Ukraine!
Competition? What competition?! And now we're kicking butt with the website too...
Today Teddington, tomorrow the
!!!
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No chastisement forthcoming - feedback is vital for us, and I understand your standpoint.
You can rest assured that no less time and effort is put into the tests we run, even if we subsequently publish slightly shorter reviews thanks to the pressure to include a far wider range of products in each issue (the amount of home entertainment options having vastly increased over the past 5-6 years).
However, our planned website redevelopment - due in a few months time - will allow us to revisit the length and style of our reviews (online and in the magazine), so watch this space! I think you'll be a happy man
Group PR Manager - Computers Unlimited;
Former Group Editor of What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision and Whathifi.com
Twitter: @ClareNewsome