in Stereophile. I though it was very well written and it did a good job of addressing some of the comments of the reviewer.
If you can say, did the article help spur some interest in the Final Labs components?

Hi millerdog,

Thanks for the kind words! But Stereophile was undoubtedly the wrong forum for a review of this kind of gear.

Art Dudley's review was originally to have appeared in Listener Magazine, whose readership would have been MUCH more interested in something like a ten-watt battery-powered solid-state amplifier. But when Listener folded and Art got picked up by Stereophile, the review went with him.

Actually, what HAS spurred some interest is John Atkinson's manhandling of the Finals in the most recent "Recommended Components" issue. I've had more than one person call me up to ask if Mr. Atkinson is trying to kill these components with his assigned class ratings. The MUSIC-6 has got to be the most expensive solid-state power amp ever to receive a "Class C" recommendation!

I realize that Mr. Atkinson feels strongly that any component can only be as good as it measures, but I sense that something else is going on here as well. For example, when the Cary 300SEI was reviewed in Stereophile, the reviewer noted that this integrated amp had some sonic limitations, and the article mentioned that the amp "measures so poorly it's a joke!" Sounds analogous to the Final Labs review. Nevertheless, the Cary has consistently received a "Class A" rating.

I used to own a Cary 300SEI (it was my first "high end" amplifier, way back before I got involved in this crazy business), and I don't think that Stereophile's relative ranking of the Cary and the Final are at all accurate. Then again, I don't advertise in Stereophile like Cary does...

Oh well, the Finals have received so many other rave reviews (one former Stereophile reviewer wrote that they are among the best-sounding components he's ever heard!) that I can't let myself get too worked up about the Stereophile situation.

Happy listening!

Brian, I just wanted to say that I discount most of Stereophile's editorials. I read it mostly to gain technical knowledge of things I am just becoming accustomed to. One of my pet peeves is that they disregard SPL specs of reviewed speakers thinking everyone has 1kw of transistorized power at their disposal.:rolleyes:
While I have not had the pleasure of reading AD's opinions in "Listener," I can say I like his column in Stereophile, in a perverse way. :)
There is a debate on how components "measure" and how they sound (especially in the tube vs SS faction). If the editor is just taking his reporters view ( ie; Stereophile), then well, the editors review is moot. I don't know who makes up the "recommended" list. It was pretty obvious JA himself did not review the components.
Again, I liked your letter.;)