What made you buy WHF&V?

You missed an 'S' in the title, thaiman.

And you can't imagine Thaiman letting us forget the 'S' part. 

Thaiman, I've always wondered what you do. Because you've listened to almost every iconic piece of kit ever made and that's no mean feat! You're a lucky chappy!

Well, I buy it because I love innovation and technology. I like reading about the new designs of hi-fi gear and understanding the different technologies as the develop. Andrew once sent me a link for HQV - Hollywood Quality Video and I learned about upscaling microprocessors. It's that sort of thing that i love about WHFS&V. (Not forgetting the sound!)

The other thing that's incredibly useful and has been getting smaller and smaller (yes it has, folks,) is the buying guide at the back.

I'd love a bigger even more comprehensive one as it's so useful to read the reviews when buying.

I know there's been talk about getting it online and this would be fab, but if the old reviews and ratings could be incorporated, WHFSV's website would become a world centre for research prior to 2nd hand purchases as well as new. Hi-Fi lives for longer than just the time it's on the shop shelf!

It's a great mag, so well done everyone at WHFSV. (Now, make a comment on my headphone thread ;-p )

Well....I use to be a singer, I thought everyone knew!

I mostly owned them!  buy at the right price then sell them on without any loss or very little (also known as a box swapper). ...there is a big different between a short demo in the shop and living with them! 

I have heard very little really when compare to many of my HiFi mates and they mostly own ultra High end gears which I can't afford to play with!

otherwise the mag would be as thick as yellow pages.  let see if the online buying guide will be here by April, should be  very useful indeed.

It was a group test of some sort of kit I was interested in at the time, the cover was shiny and attractive and I've bought quite alot ever since. I haven't bought that many issues lately, I'm mainly interested in the HF part of the magazine, and that's not always as big as I'd like it to be. Also the fact that I can read through a single issue in less than an hour front to back before reaching the buyers guide which takes up nearly have the pages of the magazine has me slightly dissapointed.

I've bought a few German magazines recently though, and they've informed me very well. They;re much cheaper, carry the same information and usually alot more and sometimes even come with free cd's, what's more to want.

The one unique thing that does have me coming back to WHF regularly is the excellent group testing, kit is pitted against each other and it's easily to assess if that piece of equipment would be something for me or not

Keep up the good work, as I do really like the mag. Hopefully the internet review section will also include all the tests, so people can easily assess how they're aged equipment was tested and could shed some more insight on worthwile upgrades.

I think what makes whfs&v best is that the articles are clear cut. It's like What Car (funny that!) compared to TopGear - one is woffle and one is bish-bash-bosh-easy-job-done (i'll let you decide which way around that is!)

The reviews are excellent and I very rarely dissagree with the comments made (I admit my Wharfedales aren't the best). It's not directed at audiophiles so there's none of that really silly "how they make vinyl" stuff like in Hi-Fi News and the layout (as with all Haymarket Publishing) is great...

I agree with Jan about the group tests being really good and well conducted.

In a nutshell, a great magazine that doesn't cost the earth...just give me a teeny weeny bit more hi-fi stuff and I'll be happy as...as a Cyrus!

LOL....dude, too much infomation

Andrex has better results FrOg lol

Okay confession time, I bought it back in the late nineties when I was looking at possible micro/mini systems.

That months What Hi-Fi had a mini buying guide to Hi-Fi seperates in it, small black and white printed booklet with very simple drawings-those were the days.

The magazine reviewed a Kenwood pro-logic set up which I think cost £750 and garnered three stars. I wasn't looking to buy one at the time, wandered into the local Manweb shop and was invigled by a sales assistant into buying it at a knock down price (£400 ish).

Bought it, got it home, happy with new toy, one of my friends had been shopping that day at local Sevenoaks or Audio Excellence and came out with a £500 seperates system, blew mine out of the water.Despite the occasional dabble with some of the competition (awards issues and reviews of kit that I haven't seen in WHF S&V mainly) I've been reading WHF S&V ever since to make sure I don't make that mistake again .

Andrew was waiting in the ambush near the newsagent

Simply because I trust the reviews and star ratings. This shortlisting of kit for me is absolutely invaluable.

Been buying it since the mid-80s and a susbscriber since 1997. The reviews have been getting shorter in WHF for years now - on the other hand they cram a wide range of stuff into the mag. I also subscribe to a Hi Fi World which is probably where What Hi Fi was back in the 1980s! That's no bad thign though; they have a different pitch and the mag is well written.

i did give HiFi Choice a go, but an article or two annoyed the hell out of me, not least one by a VERY well known hifi journalist of two or three decades standing that had me climbing the walls; it gave audiophiles a bad name - and from one who should know better!!!

So between WHF and HFW, I get a good balance between product breadth and a good detailed review. For instance, I picked up my SACD player (Samsung DVD 850) based on a WHF review, but my recent cartridge from the HFW recommendation (Audio Technica AT-440MLa). No probs with either!

First bought when I wanted to upgrade the second hand Technics system my grandad bought me when I was a wee nipper and ended up with the Marantz KI signature PM-66SE amp and CD-63 mk II CD player (which I still have!). Was so happy with this and subsequent purchases shortlisted from their recommendations, I pretty much trust their opinion now so have stuck with them through my Home Cinema buying days as well now.

for me it was that every month the TV on the front had a pic of a lady on it....why is that i wonder...

Damn, he's seen through our cunning plan...