Critic's Corner

Fezz Audio

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mark.korda@myfairpoint.net

A

Hi, did anyone read the review in the latest Stereophile on the Fezz Audio Silver Luna Prestige? Something was obviously wrong when you read John Atkinsons measurements.Thats what he said. The reviewer spent the first half of the review on George Jones even mentioned by the manufacturer's comments.He was very polite but threw in some comments on underlining issues.Switching to a new style of music was his answer to a really good review by him,Alex Halberstat. Somethings he said seemed like he was covering somethings up.My only question is who got to audition the amp first? If John Atkinson did would he not pass his findings to Alex?....Mark Korda

Follow Ups:

Review samples sometimes get damaged in transit - Brian H P 15:33:40 07/10/23 (3)
And sometimes while in use by the reviewer. JA hypothesizes that a PCB trace may have been cracked when someone swapped tubes into an overly tight socket. Hardly the first time something like this has happened, and won't be the last.
- This is true -- so there's a balance... - Doug Schneider 18:22:51 07/10/23 (2)
  What you're saying is 100% true -- things get damaged. Hell, things just happen.
  
  I think there's a balance to be struck. We never show the reviewer the measurements -- and they're either done before (preferably, actually) or after (which often happens).
  
  If they're done before and we recognize a problem -- something's broken or malfunctioning -- at that point, we can flag it and deal with it. It's only fair to the manufacturer, and why would we have the reviewer deal with a broken product.
  
  If it happens after, what we'll typically do is assess what happened, get it fixed if it's broken, then ship it back to the reviewer and ask that person to listen again.
  
  But, if in the measurements, we simply see a peculiarity -- nothing broken, just a characteristics -- then we'll carry on.
  
  So, like I said, there's a balance to be struck between a proper review and fairness because as we know, stuff happens.
  
  Doug Schneider
  SoundStage!
  - RE: This is true -- so there's a balance... - mark.korda@myfairpoint.net 11:50:37 07/14/23 (1)
    Hi, What I found weird is the last paragraph from John Atkinson.He mentioned that very tight tube sockets may have led to a solder lifting on the circuit board. Didn't the review team look under the hood? The circuit board in a tube amp might scare off some buyers, like the old Heathkits that tried that.Output tubes on solder tracers,if that's the word. Wouldn't curiosity make any of you want to look inside to have a look-see? From what I have learned about point to point vs. circuit board wiring is that if the power tubes are on solder tracers maybe you should keep looking. Take care....Mark Korda
    - RE: This is true -- so there's a balance... - Doug Schneider 13:54:17 07/14/23 (0)
      Well, I can only say what we would've done.
      
      Had we thought something might be broken, we would've opened it up if it were any easy component to open up and/or contact the company to get it opened up and then simply looked.
      
      If there a breakage occurred, we would've gotten it repaired whatever way the company suggested to get it repaired. We would've also tried to determined if it was broken before or after the reviewer had it.
      
      If it was broken before the reviewer got it, we would measure it, make sure it's all OK, then send it back to the reviewer. We would also do that if there were some uncertainty as to when it was broken. After all, it's only a shipping charge. But if we were 100% sure it happened after the reviewer had it, we'd measure it and that would be that.
      
      Like I said, there's striking a balanced. That is how we strike that balance.
      
      Doug
      SoundStage!
RE: Fezz Audio - musetap 13:56:35 07/09/23 (1)
They wear 'em?

View YouTube Video

"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
- "A cheerful ode to the importance of always wearing a condom" - John Marks 04:06:11 07/10/23 (0)
  That's what one critic called Steely Dan's "The Fez."
  
  Not too many different words in that song. Mind-numbingly repetitious.
  
  BTW, SD began recording "The Royal Scam" in 1975, so their condom advocacy was before there was any awareness of AIDS.
  
  john
  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Scam (Open in New Window)
RE: Fezz Audio - Kal Rubinson 07:21:52 07/09/23 (3)
The audition and review (almost) always comes before the product is measured by John Atkinson.
- More than this ... - Jim Austin 09:23:51 07/16/23 (0)
  ... as a matter of policy, Stereophile reviewers are not apprised of the outcome of JA's measurements until after the subjective review is complete and submitted.
  
  Jim Austin, Editor
  Stereophile
- Thereby avoiding expectation bias... - Ivan303 08:32:49 07/09/23 (1)
  as well as keeping the reviewers on their toes.
  
  Only way to do it.
  
  "Reality cannot exist because it cannot keep up with the lies on the Internet."
  - RE: Thereby avoiding expectation bias... - Analog Scott 08:41:06 07/09/23 (0)
    If they really wanted to avoid expectation bias they would do all auditioning blind.

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