What's your favorite home theater or audio/video magazine?

**Sonnie** · **05-18-06, 10:35 AM**

I subscribed to Stereo Review for years until they switched over to I believe it's now Sound and Vision. I subscribed to Stereophile for a while, but it was too technical for my hillbilly brain and almost everything they reviewed was over my budget anyway. I got tired of being envious. I then started with Home Theater Magazine and seem to enjoy it for several years but recently let it go.

It seems like there are so many places to get reviews online now that it's made the magazines useless... or has it? You can't read the computer on the throne huh?

What's your favorite and why?

**Josuah** · **05-18-06, 12:16 PM**

I like Stereophile because they perform actual measurements. Online, I visit Audioholics and Secrets religiously. :P

There are many other print magazines that I consider to be a lot of junk. Too subjective, and things like $20k for a phono cartridge without any information past "bass was tighter". Basically almost all of them except Stereophile.

**GregBe** · **05-18-06, 12:20 PM**

I would have to agree that Sound and Vision is my favorite as well.

Quote:

Sonnie wrote:

It seems like there are so many places to get reviews online now that it's made the magazines useless... or has it? You can't read the computer on the throne huh?

Funny you mention that, and I am probably venturing into the too much information area, but I recently got a BlackBerry for work, and just noticed it has a browser. Suddenly the throne seems to be the place to do home theater research

I promise I will not reply to anyones posts while sitting there

Greg

**Sonnie** · **05-18-06, 12:22 PM**

Who started this mess anyway?

I should have clarified that Secrets is one of my favorites, as evidenced by the direct links in the various forums.

**Ayreonaut** · **05-18-06, 04:19 PM**

Ultimate AV is really good for HT stuff, especially displays and surround sound stuff. They were Stereophile Guide to Home Theater but changed their name and went to an internet only format. Pity. I like the few print issues that I have.

**Tom Vodhanel** · **05-18-06, 09:49 PM**

I used to really like Stereo Review---SoundVision. But they went from giving Tom Nousaine most of a page-->half a page-->a couple sq-in of a page---to not even being in print much at all now. You get a little note saying..."for measurements on these speakers see our website". This is a step in the wrong direction imo.

AUDIO in the early 90s to 2001-2002(when they folded) was pretty good too. Lots of stuff from Keele and Nousaine...and some good stuff from Riggs and Toole too. You give those four guys page space...and it is tough to go wrong imo.

Tom V.
SVS

**Phil M** · **05-19-06, 07:05 AM**

Home Theatre - Widescreen Review
Stereo - The Absolute Sound

I still read Stereophile but:
I've ever seen a bad review
Can't afford what they review
Rating is directly proportional to advertising spend
But a subscription is cheap and its nice to dream

TAS has more reviews and has its feet on the ground in terms of the practical real world.

All the other HT mags are almost identical, only WR stands out.

**russ.will** · **05-19-06, 12:53 PM**

In the UK, Home Cinema Choice is my favourite small room comic. It has a nice balance of budget and 'aspirational' gear, doesn't go overly heavy on the technical info, but it has enough.

Home installs from all around the world are featured at all budgets and range from people recreating victorian theaters to fully wired modern homes.

It also has a 'readers wives page' which I managed to get myself into in the March issue.

It has all of it's past reviews, plus the other magazines from the same publisher, online here. Some of it will be familiar to us all and alot will be new to our colonial friends.

Russell

**Ghislain** · **05-21-06, 04:01 AM**

Since the Belgian market is rather small, there are very few dedicated dutch magazines. The ones available are often the same found in the Netherlands (same language region).
Fortunately we have lots of international magazines ready available here.
My favorites are:

Home Cinema Choice (UK): covers the latest developments in HC and has quite a number of good equipment reviews per issue. The magazine is printed on thick glossy paper in full color with lots of stunning pictures. Pure luxery!

Audio (Germany): more hifi oriented with excellent equipment reviews, more in depth technical information with lots of reviews and a very good CD/DVDA/SACD review section. (language: German)

Stereoplay (Germany): very similar to Audio (language: German)

HeimKino (Germany): Exclusively HC oriented, semi-technical equipment reviews and lots of comparative tests (language: German)

**pierrebnh** · **05-21-06, 11:11 AM**

I get it all online now, except I avoid Audioholics because of their severe mfr slant towards the low-end Japanese AVRs. Truth in advertising is apparently not required as far as they're concerned...imo

And I can read...er...anywhere, with a wireless laptop

**rcarlton** · **06-04-06, 03:59 PM**

I can't say I have ever purchased a stereo or home theater magazine. Seems I get the bulk of my information from the forums. Is that so bad?

**Sonnie** · **06-04-06, 04:09 PM**

Forums will no doubt give you more user experience and should offer a wider variety of information on products.

**Stephanie_tva** · **06-05-06, 12:12 PM**

Little off topic here

I read all the forums I can to get AV knowledge. Though if you go to my house, instead of Cosmo and glamour, you see Popular science on my coffee table...

**Tommy** · **06-06-06, 11:55 AM**

Home Theater Magazine is the one that Im subscribed to at the moment. I'd like to find some others that are similar to order

**catnip** · **06-07-06, 11:16 AM**

I've subscribed to to a bunch of home theater magazines just to see what they offer: Sound & Vision, Home Theater, Perfect Vision and Widescreen Review. I find that Perfect Vision and Widescreen Review fit my needs best with some in depth reviews with detailed but understandable technical material. Greg Rogers at WSR is particularly good on video topics and Joe kane (from Digital Video Essentials fame) is a regular contributor. WSR also seems to do a good job of DVD evaluation.

For audio I've just about given up. Audio was probably the best commercial magazine, and I tried a number of the boutique journals but most eventually folded. I now read Audio Express just to keep my toe in the water, and they have a lot of DIY projects to keep things interesting.

**DMF** · **06-07-06, 04:10 PM**

Were I to choose a favorite, it would be to admit that at least one of them was any good.

**dBWall** · **06-07-06, 05:31 PM**

One that I haven't seen mentioned here is a terrific little rag out of Montanna called, "HDTV Etc." It recently absorbed "DVD Etc." and does a consistently good job. One of the best things about it is the way that it does every review in the same format so, when comparing two pieces of gear (i.e. a Denon and a Yamaha Receiver) you really feel like you are comparing apples to apples.

**Sonnie** · **06-08-06, 02:09 AM**

Hey Daryl and welcome to the Shack!

I had forgot about DVD, Etc. I received a few issues of that once but never subscribed. I did find it interesting but already had a couple going at the time. HDTV, Etc. sounds interesing.

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