John,
I intended to be observational, rather than judgemental. While my
personal interests might be served more by an "active impulse", that does
not mean that Stereophile should incorporate such material. I have a good
friend as well as a "stereo buddy", whose proclivities mirror Stereophile to
the T. It's almost as if Atkinson knows him. Certainly, Atkinson has a fine
sense of what a lot of people want. Perhaps he decided that the "active
impulse" would disturb the reverie that engages many readers when they pick
up a copy. I know that at some point, I was fascinated by Stereophile. I
then had the fortune to sample a large array of equipment at length. The
mystical quality of the hobby receded, though I would be among those to
point out that mysteries still remain.

There is no right way to compose a magazine, except by the readership
numbers, and perhaps, in the editor's own engagement with the subject.
Certain principles apply, independent of the subject matter. This is the
game that we are not privy to. It resides in John Atkinson's mind, and I
don't think he would, or can be required to be completely transparent about
it. It's like directing a movie. There are lots of talkers, but very few
doers.



"John M." wrote in message
news:d3669$3ff606c7$43186241$13566@allthenewsgroup s.com...
John may accept this, but I say, if there's a game to be played, play
it
to
the end.
As currently composed, Stereophile is as comforting as a brandy snifter,
a
refuge from a hard day's work at a high paying but emotionally
unrewarding
job. Doctors, executives, etc., have been the backbone of the
circulation
(John, correct me here, if you wish); people with enough disposable
income
to be tempted by the pricey offerings contained therein.

I'm not a professional... I'm a technician. I love music and reading more
than anything. I also love Stereophile for many reasons, but I don't take
it
seriously as many others seem to. I passed the point of wanting to buy
more
stereo stuff quite awhile back, but I still love what I have. Would I like
more/better/etc? Sure... who wouldn't. But even though I probably will not
buy as much stuff as I used to, I still love reading about this... it's a
*hobby* for crying-out-loud! People that talk about this stuff so
seriously
really need to consider their priorities. And I'm not just talking about
Stereophile, but *any* activity not vital for life. The fact that people
would cancel a $12.97 subscription because of something they didn't like
in
the magazine, or some other nuance, really amazes me! Why would you not
want
to be challenged or read about someone elses opinion if you're going to be
so threatened by it?

The magazine almost deliberately excludes those with the "active
impulse";
the desire to tinker; even if it means somewhat less than picking up a
soldering iron. The only elements that appealed to the tinkerer were the
"tweaks", ie., retail-packaged items, frequently of dubious worth,
designed
to satisfy the impulse, without doing much good or much harm.

Most tinkerers such as myself have had to give up the desire to tweak
quite
a long time ago. I would love dearly to build a Heathkit now that I can
afford them (smile). However, I have never been drawn towards 'tweaks' as
a
means to assuage my tinkering spirit. I only tinker in the 'common-sense'
domain. But again, I don't mind reading about what others are up to,
regardless of whether it would be something I'd do or not. You can always
turn the page if you want to!

Conflict is almost completely absent from the magazine, except in the
letters to the editor. It's very civilized. Ironically, this newsgroup
may
be a competitor, because those of us who "perform" here are vociferously
noisy.

I always enjoy reading the letters to the editor and am quite saddened
that
the number printed each month is going down. I would also like to see more

'conflict' between the editors and more music coverage (another area
seemingly in decline).

John