Best Car Audio magazine?
02-23-2004, 12:57 PM
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
The magazines (people who run them) are getting lazy! On numerous occassions (there have been what 10 threads about this on all the message boards) people suggest things they could do. The standard answer is the internet is better for that. For example event results, back in the day CA&E had wicked event coverage, especially finals. There was a section of two or three pages dedicated to the winners of each class. The results page was two pages big, with winners name, what they drove, and where they were from. Nowadays event result look like this, even from finals:
"Check sanctioning bodies website for full results"
That is terrible.
Since AS&S left there are very few how to's. PAS has a few but they are very short and have few pics, definately not enough yo give confidence to a someone doing something for the first time.
Test reports are going downhill, in this age of political correctness and advertising ruling all you cannot find a review about anything bad. It seems to me (no offence to you Dave) that there really hasn't been a reviewer I really liked to read since Peter Mitchell in car audio. The ones with Eric Holdaway are not as bad as some others. The problem is people are worried the reviewers "might" influence what people buy. So they try to keep it objective, which isn't why I personally read a review. The Carsound ones with Richard Clark etc. were the worst. Basically they all saounded the same. X product, produced X specs on the test bench. It had a good manual, and tech support answered the phone. Whoop de do, that totally reminds me of the "Of all the products I have tested this is certainly one of them reviews" I like to make fun of. If someone could copy Car and Drivers format I would be happy, they aren't afraid to say what they felt were shortcomings in a automobile.
Now finally on to features. I don't know if you frequent Carsound's boards, but you should see what happened when Scott Buwalda's car got featured. There was a three page thread saying how great it was. Guess what? Scott does not have 20 inch rims, not one single monitor. No body kit, no turbocharger, no painted fiberglass. Wow, what a breath of fresh air. The article was well written, and the pics were superb from a composition standpoint. Too many times in the past I looked at pics and couldn't tell where in the vehicle the pic is from. You couldn't tell if the pic was even from that car, it could have been from any and you wouldn't know, heck it could have just been cut and pasted fom the manufacturers website! It seems that the Audio is getting taken out of Audio magazines, and that it is getting replaced by import tuning, which is great, but if I want to read about import tuning I will read an import magazine (I know PAS is a hybrid, but there haven't been any audio systems other than a handful that I would consider good in the last three or four issues). What about vehicles Like Rob and Rina Beckham, Todd Gaskell, Jason Gay? I have never seen any of their cars before in print and these are world class competitors. For American magazines same thing, except it's all movie stars and athletes. I don't care about them, their systems all look the same. There were so many cars at world finals that I had never seen in print.
Any ways this is really long so I am going to wrap it up here.
"Check sanctioning bodies website for full results"
That is terrible.
Since AS&S left there are very few how to's. PAS has a few but they are very short and have few pics, definately not enough yo give confidence to a someone doing something for the first time.
Test reports are going downhill, in this age of political correctness and advertising ruling all you cannot find a review about anything bad. It seems to me (no offence to you Dave) that there really hasn't been a reviewer I really liked to read since Peter Mitchell in car audio. The ones with Eric Holdaway are not as bad as some others. The problem is people are worried the reviewers "might" influence what people buy. So they try to keep it objective, which isn't why I personally read a review. The Carsound ones with Richard Clark etc. were the worst. Basically they all saounded the same. X product, produced X specs on the test bench. It had a good manual, and tech support answered the phone. Whoop de do, that totally reminds me of the "Of all the products I have tested this is certainly one of them reviews" I like to make fun of. If someone could copy Car and Drivers format I would be happy, they aren't afraid to say what they felt were shortcomings in a automobile.
Now finally on to features. I don't know if you frequent Carsound's boards, but you should see what happened when Scott Buwalda's car got featured. There was a three page thread saying how great it was. Guess what? Scott does not have 20 inch rims, not one single monitor. No body kit, no turbocharger, no painted fiberglass. Wow, what a breath of fresh air. The article was well written, and the pics were superb from a composition standpoint. Too many times in the past I looked at pics and couldn't tell where in the vehicle the pic is from. You couldn't tell if the pic was even from that car, it could have been from any and you wouldn't know, heck it could have just been cut and pasted fom the manufacturers website! It seems that the Audio is getting taken out of Audio magazines, and that it is getting replaced by import tuning, which is great, but if I want to read about import tuning I will read an import magazine (I know PAS is a hybrid, but there haven't been any audio systems other than a handful that I would consider good in the last three or four issues). What about vehicles Like Rob and Rina Beckham, Todd Gaskell, Jason Gay? I have never seen any of their cars before in print and these are world class competitors. For American magazines same thing, except it's all movie stars and athletes. I don't care about them, their systems all look the same. There were so many cars at world finals that I had never seen in print.
Any ways this is really long so I am going to wrap it up here.
02-23-2004, 01:35 PM
#12
2000 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,260
GRRR...i typed out a big thing, and it didnt post...anyways...
No offense to you Dave, or any reviewer, cause they all do it, but im really sick of the politically correct review too. Unfortunatly, its not going to stop anytime soon, cause no-one wants to advertise in a magazine that gives them bunk reviews, and at the end of the day, it all comes down to the bottom line. Money.
No offense to you Dave, or any reviewer, cause they all do it, but im really sick of the politically correct review too. Unfortunatly, its not going to stop anytime soon, cause no-one wants to advertise in a magazine that gives them bunk reviews, and at the end of the day, it all comes down to the bottom line. Money.
02-23-2004, 01:45 PM
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
I have said it before and will again - about 4 years ago the magazines decided that all people wanted was bling and flash and they started feeding it to us.
I stopped buying everything. I still pick up PASMag when I see it though.
Give me an old school car expose where it gets into how the system was designed and why this and that is the way it is. Hell, many times half the article is on the rims and paint. Um, don't care!
Anyway. rant over.
I stopped buying everything. I still pick up PASMag when I see it though.
Give me an old school car expose where it gets into how the system was designed and why this and that is the way it is. Hell, many times half the article is on the rims and paint. Um, don't care!
Anyway. rant over.
02-23-2004, 01:51 PM
#14
Generally, in most magazines it seems like the reviews are nothing but 2 page ads for the company that makes the product, and even if the product's numbers don't add up to the claims, the reviewer doesn't come right out and say "this isn't what they said, this isn't nearly as good as they claim" (they being the manufacturer) Reviews DO affect what people buy, otherwise, save the print and don't do the review, why would someone read a review of a piece of equipment other than to see if it's worth even considering.
I do agree with the other posts, import tuning is nice, but when I pick up an audio mag, or a mag like PAS which is supposed to be both audio and tuning, and there's only maybe 10 pictures in the whole magazine that really show the system, or there's a decent of the system, but mostly from outside the car to show off the body kit and fancy paint job, and interesting details of the install are glossed over in print, and not even shown in the pics.
I do agree with the other posts, import tuning is nice, but when I pick up an audio mag, or a mag like PAS which is supposed to be both audio and tuning, and there's only maybe 10 pictures in the whole magazine that really show the system, or there's a decent of the system, but mostly from outside the car to show off the body kit and fancy paint job, and interesting details of the install are glossed over in print, and not even shown in the pics.
02-23-2004, 02:01 PM
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by Sassmaster:
Reviews DO affect what people buy, otherwise, save the print and don't do the review, why would someone read a review of a piece of equipment other than to see if it's worth even considering.
Reviews DO affect what people buy, otherwise, save the print and don't do the review, why would someone read a review of a piece of equipment other than to see if it's worth even considering.
02-23-2004, 06:34 PM
#17
That's why I love the Total Car Stereo mag from the UK.
1) They show nice AUDIO based cars. Sure, they have body kits and stuff, but the review is focused on the audio.
2) They have a decent How-To in the mags.
3) They have product reviews and still manage to point out a few flaws in the products.
4) They go out to local shows, check out REGULAR cars and give a quick rundown/review of them. My fav part btw, seeing a regular car with equipment people can actually afford (Pyle and stuff). Regular installs and even works in progress.
The rest of what I think about the mags around here has already been said by the others. Too much bling. Too much video. Not enough regular cars. No real opinions on anything, just reviewers trying not to offend manuf's.
1) They show nice AUDIO based cars. Sure, they have body kits and stuff, but the review is focused on the audio.
2) They have a decent How-To in the mags.
3) They have product reviews and still manage to point out a few flaws in the products.
4) They go out to local shows, check out REGULAR cars and give a quick rundown/review of them. My fav part btw, seeing a regular car with equipment people can actually afford (Pyle and stuff). Regular installs and even works in progress.
The rest of what I think about the mags around here has already been said by the others. Too much bling. Too much video. Not enough regular cars. No real opinions on anything, just reviewers trying not to offend manuf's.
02-23-2004, 08:54 PM
#18
1000 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,120
My all time fav was the old Car Stereo Review, before they changed to this new Mobile Entertainment format...caa-raap!
Maybe this latest issue with the article Dereck mentioned is a step towards what we all hope for... I've seen too many "basketball star features with more money than style installs".
I'd love to see nice stealth installs of quality equipment, refined installs that are well thought out and well integrated without all the Blinggg!!!...Do they ever mention why a certain design or equipment was employed as far as sound quality and stealth?
I'd be interested in articles about talking about the engineering and techniques used... instead of cramming a mindless pile of video screens and flashy chrome amps & subs into some giant gas quzzling SUV or equally pathetic bodykits and other riced out crap on some Jap-Can of the week, yuk!!
Maybe this latest issue with the article Dereck mentioned is a step towards what we all hope for... I've seen too many "basketball star features with more money than style installs".
I'd love to see nice stealth installs of quality equipment, refined installs that are well thought out and well integrated without all the Blinggg!!!...Do they ever mention why a certain design or equipment was employed as far as sound quality and stealth?
I'd be interested in articles about talking about the engineering and techniques used... instead of cramming a mindless pile of video screens and flashy chrome amps & subs into some giant gas quzzling SUV or equally pathetic bodykits and other riced out crap on some Jap-Can of the week, yuk!!
02-23-2004, 09:08 PM
#19
I subscribe to ME and CA&E, and occasionally get PAS. I read them anyways, but it's always the same. I don't really care how many video screens a basketball player can cram into his Denali. I liked the Mini full of Stiner, Kicker, and tirefly stuff... I wish they would have actuall SQ installs, that would help the competition world in general. I'm sure someone has boxes of great old magazines they could lend to me.
