[snooper]

Hi does anyone know when this awards issue is due out. Ta

[stubie_do]

I think it is the What Hi-Fi Awards 2009, which will hit the book stores in Nov/Dec.

[AgentCool]

The Awards issue is usually out a week a two before the show in London which is between 31st October and 2nd November this year.

[davepuma]

.....and it will probably coincide with the release of the new Sony AV Receivers.....

[norliss]

That would be the What Sony Awards, then....

[Dodgexander]

i believe it to be after the 18th of Sept

[quasibongo]

yet again PV1 gets product of the year. i own 15 grand worth of kit and had one of these and it was fine for music but rubbish for films. needless to say i have a real sub now. whay do what comic keep raving about this thing. do they not think that if it was that great that other manufactuers would be following suit by now? even B&W admit it's a lifestyle product!! prob is a lot of people think that mag is an av bible when its not

[Phil Hinton]

Originally Posted by norliss

That would be the What Sony Awards, then....

Nah, only four awards for Sony TVs this year out of 6 catagories.

[IAN P]

It's out on the 16th,that'll be today then.

[Cujo101]

Is it me or does the fact that Haymarket (Publishers of What Hi-Fi) also have the contract for Sony Magazine have anything to do with the praise of almost all Sony AV products? I have to say that I'm beginning to wonder about the reviews that I see in the magazine.

[swift1]

...I'm beginning to wonder about the reviews that I see in the magazine.

I can't think of anyone that seriously goes by what the clowns say at What Hi-Fi ......at the end of the day the're sponsored by manufacturers. they don't care about consumers - they only write what they're told to write

It's my money and I'll get a proper demo first prior to buying.

[norliss]

Originally Posted by Phil Hinton

Nah, only four awards for Sony TVs this year out of 6 catagories.

I flicked through a copy of their mag at Sainsburys recently and a non-Sony TV actually won a group test

Blimey Phil, what's happening at WhatHiFiHomeVideoAlarmClockMP3LifestyleChoice these days?!

[Greggles]

Anyone still thinking of purchasing this esteemed publication, please find attached £1 off voucher:

[eaglemmoomin]

I think I'd rather have the quid to be honest.........

[Ian J]

Do you know that What Hifi censor any mention of AV Forums in their own forum.

Any mention by name or in a link is changed to "another forum" I wonder why we allow them so much free publicity here in the circumstances

[Matt]

Were they ever a creditable magazine? If my memory serves me correctly this website spun out of HCC many years ago, did they ever stry to show that there reviews were tripe?
Is WHSV the only mag that tries to tell you a £100 HDMI cable will give you deeper blacks than a £5 one?

[Gary Lightfoot]

Originally Posted by Matt

Is WHSV the only mag that tries to tell you a £100 HDMI cable will give you deeper blacks than a £5 one?

And more 'insight' as well

Lots of displays/cables/audio products they review have more or less 'insight' than others, but what does it mean in real terms? I wonder if they ever calibrate anything before testing as well, since that can make a big difference on what you see/hear.

Gary

[Avi]

Originally Posted by Gary Lightfoot

And more 'insight' as well

Lots of displays/cables/audio products they review have more or less 'insight' than others, but what does it mean in real terms? I wonder if they ever calibrate anything before testing as well, since that can make a big difference on what you see/hear.

Gary

Gary

Funny you mention that. I did ask them in a polite fashion on their forum what level of calibration was performed on products they review. I didn't get an answer.

However I appear to have been banned because I linked to the audioholics.com objective cable review as asked if they could provide similar objective type reviews.

AVI

[Gary Lightfoot]

Originally Posted by Avi

Gary

Funny you mention that. I did ask them in a polite fashion on their forum what level of calibration was performed on products they review. I didn't get an answer.

I'm not surprised!

Originally Posted by Avi

However I appear to have been banned because I linked to the audioholics.com objective cable review as asked if they could provide similar objective type reviews.

AVI

Hmmmm I wonder why?

There have been quite a few threads over on avs regarding cables and cable testing, and two tests they did always come to mind. One was where they had 9 'audiophiles' do an ABX test with some speaker cables, The high end cables were around $2000 and the comparison cable was some $6 mains flex. In the test they got 48% correct which is no better than tossing a coin. One guy said the difference between the two cables was like 'night and day', yet he preferred the mains flex (he wasn't happy when he found out about that).

Another test was with Mike Lavigne (sp?) in the ultra high end forum where he felt he could easily identify his preferred cables against any others. The test was for 20 ABX tests, with the test to stop if he got 3 consecutive tests wrong. The testing was stopped after test 7. He was very open and honest about the whole thing but totally surprised and disappointing that he failed the test. Chris Wiggles was one of the testers IIRC.

I think when you can see what cables you're hearing or you know which ones they are, then you hear what you think you should hear. Placebo is a powerful thing. In another test a chap did a comparison test but didn't actually swap the cables over and he told the listeners he had, as well as which cable was the better one. Amazingly they all liked the better cable. They weren't very happy when they were told they'd been misled.

Gary

[mark1080p]

Originally Posted by Avi

Gary

Funny you mention that. I did ask them in a polite fashion on their forum what level of calibration was performed on products they review. I didn't get an answer.AVI

Keep pestering them for a reply

I stopped buying that magazine - HDMI Cable reviews are a an absolute joke.
giving 3*** for HDMI cable due to cable lacking rapid action smoothness
and 5***** for another for producing wonderful skintones.

They never seem to review £5 cables either hmmmm there always £30+

[CinemaChap]

Have you ever noticed how they give sony alot of 5***** reviews for their junk?

Where I used to work reps visited all the time, and only the sony rep was more than willing to say they do give what hifi back handers for great reviews.

Believe me or not, but I heard it straight from sonys mouth, maybe he trusted us too much

I for one wont be buying any sony gear nor taking any interest in what they have to say about sony after this happened.

Its like what hifi were becoming sony reps themselves at one point.

[Gary Lightfoot]

If an HDMI cable is capable of providing a full 1080P image without issues, then I don't see how a 'better' cable will make the image any better. After all, it's a digital signal on an analogue carrier, so if all the data is succesfuly arriving at the diaplay, I don't know what can be done to make it better in any way.

Gary

[James Baker]

Theres more stars here than a clear evening sky....

The world’s No.1 home cinema, hi-fi and TV buying guide – whathifi.com

I think we can take it as read the fact that What Hifi are 'in bed' with Sony and who can blame them in this financialy iffy times...

If it wasnt for Sonys generous advertising revenue (and got knows what else...) then I am sure What Hifi would have gone a long time ago.

Atleast this way it will die a slow death with people buying Sony products on the magazines say so only to find out they bought something thats over priced and underachieving.

(Apart from the recent 350 blu ray player which to be fair is cheap and works well - maybee sony are changing back???)

[-Ad-]

But the people on what hi-fi forum say there are differences, thye know how to calibrate displays, and deny any involment with sony.

I for one believe them as they are soo respected

Right off to order a VDH HDMI cable, as the chord one is apparently more expensive but both are of similar quality PQ wise..... Funny that

[eiren]

Originally Posted by Avi

Gary

Funny you mention that. I did ask them in a polite fashion on their forum what level of calibration was performed on products they review. I didn't get an answer.

However I appear to have been banned because I linked to the audioholics.com objective cable review as asked if they could provide similar objective type reviews.

AVI

I was recently banned from there for asking for some clarification on how they review equipment, and also asking them about some other issues that had bothered me. They also posted that I had 'run off' from posting anymore, but actually they'd banned me and then posted no-one had been banned and I was entitled to my say: What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision - Why I wont be renewing my subscription

There's some discussion of the HDMI cable issue within.

I am a paying customer of theirs (well I was until a couple weeks ago), and the awards really just pushed me over the edge (their reviews have been very dubious in recent years).

I think the only way people will have any effect on the proceedings is for everyone to simply stop buying it. They are deliberately misleading people.

[CinemaChap]

I agree with the above posts, I am glad its not just me seeing this. I for one wont be buying the What- Sony magazine again

[James Baker]

'What Sony Magazine'! Class!



Well said and as usual the magazine hasnt answered the questions raised.

We all know what 'What Hifi' has become and as such dont waste our money on it anymore.

The AVforums are a better place to gain infomation on new products rather than being spoon fed what certain manufacturers want us to think...

You read different points of view and make your own minds up - Alas there are still people who belive what hifi is the bible of what to buy - a sad but true fact... I count myself as someone who makes their own mind up and so dont own a Sony Bravia...

[CinemaChap]

Originally Posted by Baldybouncer

We all know what 'What Hifi' has become and as such dont waste our money on it anymore.

The AVforums are a better place to gain infomation on new products rather than being spoon fed what certain manufacturers want us to think...

Here here! glad to be a member!

[davepuma]

Originally Posted by Ian J

Do you know that What Hifi censor any mention of AV Forums in their own forum.

Any mention by name or in a link is changed to "another forum" I wonder why we allow them so much free publicity here in the circumstances

To be fair, AVF stars out certain other specialised forums too yet AVS and other similar ones aren't. Never made any sense that one and no-one has ever explained the reasons for it.

[jayden28]

They had recently gave the new sony z series(200hz set) 4 stars online only to change it to 5 stars a couple of days later,the excuse was because the tv had dropped in price,i think fony(sorry sony)were not to happy about the 4 stars.