Have your say & ask the experts

OK, really trying hard not to be obsequious and swell heads at What Fi Hi, but I was thinking what talent it must take to produce such a readable magazine which, at the end of the day, is fundamentally a buying information source.

I think there's a real synergy between the editorial style, the quality of reviews and other general content which, for me and certainly countless others, results in a thoroughly enjoyable read whether one's in the the market for a new bit of kit or not. I pick up other hi fi mags from time to time but never make it to the news agent's counter to buy and certainly wouldn't subscribe...

To put into perspective, I'm also into digital photography and subscribed to a well known digital SLR mag. Now this is far less of a 'buyer's guide' and more a learning / enthusiasts' resource. Each month both mags would fall on the mat around the same time, the photo mag being flicked thorough and bunged in the 'read later, but never actually bother' pile, whereas What Hi Fi is read, then read again, then reread until the next issue comes.

So there we go - 100% praise. We're not all miserable in this country... 

Why thank you.

Incidentally, we're working on making the mag and website work even harder - based on a lot of feedback from these Forums and elsewhere. Watch this space...

I must say that I'm usually finished with the magazine in about 20 minutes simply because apart from the reviews in the first half of the magazine, the second half of the magazine is the same 're-hashed' Buyers Guide, bar a few updates and adverts.

It takes a month to get to me and it provides so little in reading entertainment, what more with the new website, which for most people would suffice, without the need for a paid subscription.

This is my personal view and is not a complaint but a constructive criticism.

It might interest you to know that the Buying Guide at the back of the magazine is being competely revamped (off the back of the new database we built for the website), and as a result will be packed with even more technical data, but will actually take up less space.

So that will free more pages at the front of the magazine for news, reviews and features. Editor-in-chief Ms Newsome has been picking our brains of late to work out how the magazine can offer something a bit different from the website, so we're not resting on our laurels...

I must add also that I rarely buy it nowadays (it costs me about £8 for a start!", and that is mainly because of...
1. The predominance of AV.
2. The lack of computer based hifi (the future).

The Squeezebox duet review was very very poor. Such an important new format (and one of a few) with such little space was an oportunity lost IMO.

OK, some feedback from me.

I remember WHF from many years ago, and I understand the convergence that has been happening over the last 10 years but it disappoints me that there is an ever decreasing amount of hifi in the mag.

It's all very well having TV/AV and the increasing amount of MP3/4 focus and I understand the marketplace to an extent, but hifi is being whittled down. And as by far the leading authority on the subject with a circulation of 5 times that of your nearest competitor, and your focus on the mainstream end of hifi anyway, I have to say that WHF(SAV) needs to keep the hifi element or you will just become A.N.Other jack of all trades magazine. It's a reciprocal thing and more devotion is needed to music, be it separates or iPod based. The less you print, the less interest there will be. Your competition is quite small really, HFN are very technical and appeal to the real nerds, HFC is a quality publication that unfortunately doesn't get the credit it deserves, and you as part of a well respected and loved 'What' brand need to lead.

I really enjoy the mag, but it seems every month it's a shorter and shorter read. I have a plasma and I know that Pioneer does the best blacks, Panny are always good and the others aspire but blimey it's boring (and well covered in other mags, and dare I say it Currys, Comet, Dixons, Argos et al).

I have mentioned this before and been told that you are simply reacting to the marketplace, but surely you can see from this forum that the vast majority of people are music based be it vinyl, MP3, CD, surround. TVs are comparatively commodity items, and the future of WHF is in the former rather than the latter. I'll make an analogy in the football supporters market in that many true fans and where the passion lies are being alienated, and your market will slowly but surely erode until all you have left is the occasional buyer as opposed to the hardcore subscribers.

Not to mention the devastating effect you will have on the smaller manufacturers that make hifi one of the only remaining sectors that has a plethora of smaller companies producing niche products.

That's my tenpounds worth (well inflation is running quite high these days), and given the situation with the economy there are some hard times ahead and I'd be very sad to see the only survivors as the multinationals like Sony, Sharp, Panasonic, Samsung...let's look after the Naims, the Arcams, the NADs, the ProAcs, the PMCs, the Neats etc and restore WHF to being the people's champion again rather than in no-mans land like I feel you are at the moment. Are you a specialist title or a slave to short-term profit? Only the former will work long-term in this industry, or it will disappear.

I have had an opportunity to get hold of some back issues from your competitors and while their magazines may not have the glossy sheen and may infact look plain - in terms of pure content, there is so much more to read and enjoy as far as 2 channel hi-fi is concerned.

I hope, as Andy as pointed out, that every effort goes into improving the magazine to the same standards as that of your website, which is by far, the best at the moment - congratulations on that!

I'd like to echo the same sentiments for the magazine, but I'm afraid I can't. As it stands at the moment, it is lagging far behind.

I do not want to have to subscribe to these magazines but I may have to as WHF appears to be diminishing in reading content and entertainment value for me.

I may be just one insignificant subscriber but that's my view, nevertheless.

I think your missing the point about the buying guide EW....whilst hard core enthusiasts may buy every issue ...many people buy the mag occasionally when they are about to purchase a new piece of equipment - the buying guide to them is probably the most important part of the mag.

... Even the adverts can be illuminating when your looking around to see what's available on the market. (and how much do think the mag would cost without adverts??)

JetJohnson - If you're an occassional buyer, it's different. You go to a store, flip through the pages and decide there and then if you want it or not.

I am a paid subscriber. I await in anticipation for the next issue, and usually end up being dissapointed with the contents of the magazine.

I mean - the website now has reviews, all the latest news, blogs, forums, 'how to' videos etc, so I question the value of the magazine which to me has no 'value added' benefit per se. So, while the website has been significantly enhanced, the same input has not gone into the magazine, unfortunately.

This is my personal view.

Andy Clough:

It might interest you to know that the Buying Guide at the back of the magazine is being competely revamped (off the back of the new database we built for the website), and as a result will be packed with even more technical data, but will actually take up less space.

So that will free more pages at the front of the magazine for news, reviews and features. Editor-in-chief Ms Newsome has been picking our brains of late to work out how the magazine can offer something a bit different from the website, so we're not resting on our laurels...

Hi my 2 pence worth....


love the magazine, yes its quick and easy to read but thats good??!

and i also see that your taking a proactive approach to improving the mag which is great to see!

top jon all round then, hope da boss says that to you guys!

Cheers

There are better 2-channel focused publications out there since WHFS&V went all multi-channel/AV on us, simple as. However, the website is fantastic and if you're relatively new to the world of hifi and home cinema, WHFS&V provides an excellent source of information and advice. Id imagine most hifi buffs are now purchasing other publications, but are also using this website, which is superb.

When will we see an issue of WHS&V without a large pic of an lcd/plasma on the front? The new CD6 SE from Cyrus was supposed to be the most impressive new product of the 21st century to date, but received a square inch pic space in the bottom left hand corner!

 

thfcwestlower:

The new CD6 SE from Cyrus was supposed to be the most impressive new product of the 21st century to date, but received a square inch pic space in the bottom left hand corner!

 

Indeed!

jules.

Yeah, but you can't put a picture of Jessica Alba on a CD player...

In all seriousness though, as a fan of AV and hi-fi, love the magazine as is (though I wouldn't mind if there were a few less TV Supertests I have to say!)

Why not make the Cyrus the central cover image? Because all our research shows (and we've done plenty, including trialling different covers) that it'd sell a lot less copies. Having a movie/TV image on the cover engages people far more than a product shot - even if you don't know you're reacting to it, you are.

And thank you all for your feedback - having these Forums allows us to get a great idea of your issues and concerns so we can work harder to fulfill them.

We're also 'listening' to the silent majority - those who don't typically post comments here, but who spend time on other areas of the site, and react in other ways to WHF's many offerings (whether that's buying issues, subscriptions, Ultimate Guides etc) , and addressing their needs as well.

But, exciting times ahead! Keep your thoughts coming.... 

 

 

professorhat:

Yeah, but you can't put a picture of Jessica Alba on a CD player...

In all seriousness though, as a fan of AV and hi-fi, love the magazine as is (though I wouldn't mind if there were a few less TV Supertests I have to say!)

We're currently working on a stereo speaker Supertest for the next issue....