AIAP: New Audio Industry Publications Association

[Fred Crane]

In fact the Audio Industry is totally under capitalized as compared to almost every other luxury industry. If you look at the ability to advertise and promote the numbers are so miniscule as to be almost irrelevant. It may be the love and hobby of all on this site and all who read and watch videos however those numbers at most represent such a small portion of the population as to be statistically meaningless.

We once did a series of exit interviews around NYC at fine shops and restaurants to see what if any people new the names of high end audio brands and to be honest it was very funny. Virtually no one named anything that would be carried by a place like Lyric ( which is where i was and we did this exercise) . Think about this the whole world knows the names of almost every car, watch, clothing, appliance etc in the high end.
Audio basically not at all. Sad but true. Today we live in a branded world and the brands of audio have not yet ( being optimistic here) reached anywhere near these other luxury products.

What is the total circulation of all these publications worldwide?
I would guess that the gross revenue of the Honda dealers in the state of Washington would exceed the total of the entire US High End business easily.

Agreed. Some of the emotional responses to the perceived misdeeds of writers and publications brings to mind the old quote, 'Competition in audiophilia (academia) is so vicious because the stakes are so small.' - Laurence J. Peter

Being an audiophile is a caveat emptor identity. Education is not free. Long before I was in the business, I kept files on reviewers whom I felt warranted it. The files established their tastes once I found them consistent. It's the same method in the wine business, wherein you find other professionals who share your palate, or at the very least have a definitive palate based upon which you can either investigate a vintage further or not.

For those writers/reviewers who do have a voice and the ability to put pen to paper, I have a hard time faulting their efforts which in some cases are Sisyphean if only in their sheer inevitable repetitiveness. To put down a thousand words, (and for some writers far more) a week on how you hear something would seem an anathema. This doesn't take into consideration the responsibility of fairness, since swapping things willy nilly in an out of a highly tuned system is bound to fail more than succeed. I always thought if I were a reviewer, I would need 6 or 7 systems to account for varying approaches. Anyway, I'm glad they're trying. I can't imagine how many of them make a living wage...and it's real work. Of course, some reviewers don't have very well considered systems, and some either as a result of not having a thoughtful sensical system or simply the sheer inability to stop bloviating, give inconsistent reviews. On the whole, those guys are pretty easy to recognize and avoid. (easier the more experience with different types of gear that you accrue.)

On a parallel tack : especially but not exclusively to our multi lingual global members, do you find reviews in other countries more reliable on the whole compared to those in the US and Canada? Perhaps more consistent or comprehensive in certain other spots? I translate certain publications and reviewers from abroad. Don't get me wrong I read North American writers too. Lastly, do you think that the reviewing structure of our publications effects the nature of our dealerships or vice versa? Personally, I've seen a cottage industry cropping up over the last 6 to 8 years, where smaller dealers are providing some good listens off of the beaten track of the name retailers...some of these sporting a more euro type of feel, i.e. emulating a living room instead of a highly treated room with 9 pairs of speakers around the walls.

If nothing else, there's evidence that there's more than enough room for everyone to find a comfortable venue that matches their taste and ideology. You may just have to drive or fly a fair distance.

 

[microstrip]

(... ) - what rules and conditions manufacturer puts on the piece reviewed, such as wilson can't be compared to others, etc., (so they can hold on to their power): none that I know of. I've never had any qualification put on me and I've reviewed Wilson among many others. (...)

Can I ask why you are bringing Wilson to this thread?

 

[tima]

Can I ask why you are bringing Wilson to this thread?

You can ask anything.

I did not 'bring Wilson to this thread'. I was responding to a post that did. I encourage you to read that message to understand what I was saying.

 

[microstrip]

You can ask anything.

I did not 'bring Wilson to this thread'. I was responding to a post that did. I encourage you to read that message to understand what I was saying.

As long as you insert text in your post without quoting or referring to it properly it becomes your text. Underline is not a quoting style.

I encourage you to improve your quoting skills in WBF.

 

[tima]

As long as you insert text in your post without quoting or referring to it properly it becomes your text. Underline is not a quoting style.

I encourage you to improve your quoting skills in WBF.

Now you make a fool of yourself for reading failure. You did not go back and read the entire message, did you?

The quote was there and the quoted text matched that - both in the same message.

C'mon Franscisco - if you are going to play the role of a picayune carping nitwit, then first learn your lines.

 

[bonzo75]

C'mon Franscisco - if you are going to play the role of a picayune carping nitwit, then first learn your lines.

Play? He is a natural

 

[tima]

Play? He is a natural

Heh - I suppose it is type casting. I was trying a humorous way to say 'get your act together' before criticizing someone else.

I do not like this sort of back and forth. Occasional sparring is inevitable, but this is tedious.

 

[microstrip]

Now you make a fool of yourself for reading failure. You did not go back and read the entire message, did you?

The quote was there and the quoted text matched that - both in the same message.

C'mon Franscisco - if you are going to play the role of a picayune carping nitwit, then first learn your lines.

As usual, you turn to insults when you find you are not even able to do a proper quote according to the WBF adopted system. Unfortunately, it is now expected.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Has anyone heard anything new about this project since the flurry of discussion about it in June?

Have any of the big magazines expressed any decisions about joining or not joining?

Thank you for any updates you may have seen or heard.

 

[gleeds]

It is disappointing that the absolute sound and Stereophile did not sign onto this Statement of Principles as founding members of AIAP. Some consumers, hobbyists and industry professionals consider these two publications to be the greatest sources of conflicts of interest in our industry.

Many of the old stories, rumors and anecdotes about conflicts of interest in our industry arose from reviewers at these two publications. Many of the concerns about "pay-to-play," and long-term "loans" and reviewer accommodation purchases and other apparent or actual conflicts of interest continue to arise in connection with reviewers at these publications.

Hopefully the executives and reviewers at these publications will reconsider, and the absolute sound and Stereophile will adopt the Statement of Principles in the future.

Ron, in my view, trying to right the wrongs of our industry is both a well-worn path of discussion and not worth the ink.. As you know, I am a glass-half-full guy, but interests are what they are. Let's be more discerning and make a conscious choice to listen to those whose views we find valuable.

I agree with Andromeda's statement, "listen more and read less". Use the Forum and other sources to learn about new products and determine whose views and expertise align with your own priorities.

WBF is special because we can learn about new products and read fellow members' reasons for purchasing component A over component B. Respectful disagreement and points of view are also invaluable. Sure, Members have to put up with some self-promotion from advertisers, but one can choose to ignore the noise.
I do my best as an advertiser by sticking to the approach of utilizing my privileges to inform and educate folks about the products I promote. Admittedly, I sometimes fall short of that aim; however, the numbers don't lie. I always do best for our brands and my relationships with Members when I stick to the plan.

On a separate topic, WBF has its issues, as all businesses do. Still, IMO, it is far and away the best community for forming valuable relationships, learning more about our hobby, and finding helpful information. Long live WBF pimples and all