When I saw each one’s rooms, I was horrified just as you described.
But as long as their “test” rooms are the same with each test, their cables are the same crappy throw-away cables, they can come up with repeatable results. Amplifier A in the chaotic environment, with the crappy cables, sounds different than Amplifier B in the same spot. And so they hear the differences under those conditions and write about them.
The thing that left me most incredulous was Guttenberg having a class A amp, turned on, that runs freakin hot–I know–I have one–with another amp sitting on top of it.
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Yeah, neither Steve, Herb or Michael will be chosen for a Vogue photo shoot. Oddly enough though, I like their rooms. Bottom line, I think they are trying to help(?).
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The listening room of a well known reviewer who has advised me on several purchases. His record and CD collection makes Fremer look like a beginner.
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i always hated recording in empty rooms, and i don’t like listening in one either.
this is a good thing since i have a small house and “my” room looks rather more like the ones referred to above, and rather less like most of the rooms in the “system photos” thread 
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I guess these reviewers’ room has the practical angle and some of us
just have the anal/obssessive angle.
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To be a good reviewer one needs to be anal/obsessive - just not about your room.
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The person who is able to keep order is good, the person who is able to overview chaos is a genius. I think Albert Einstein said that. I kept telling my mom when she entered my room, now I keep telling my wife.
I like tidy, but I also like to live.
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If I had to make a list of what I am anal/obsessive about it would be a very short list and it would change daily.
What could this mean?
I know I am obsessive as hell but it’s always about my latest new pastime. They all seem to fade when a new pick develops.
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Your just a curious ole chap that’s all…
just like the rest of us…now ain’t that just dandy!!
Now git back to your toys…
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Steven, have you ever seen Michael Fremer’s collection? It’s the largest I have ever seen or expect to see. It covers about 1,000 square feet of floor to ceiling racks — his entire basement and what isn’t stored there waits in boxes in his garage. I haven’t been to the English reviewer’s home but my guess, given the small size of most British flats relative to the massive homes of Americans, is that Fremer’s collection area is likely larger than this man’s entire flat.
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I wonder how Fremer transported those big Wilsons into the room?
I would say the same. You can’t overestimate collections of people getting review samples for free since decades.
Probably more due to not being able to obsess over interconnects / PCs and 6 box digital ‘front ends’. It may be the system for an an audiophile who prefers to get on and listen to music.
There’s a tight and narrow path through the garage and into the basement he can tote speakers, but just barely.
Also, they’re “some assembly required”.
That’s Jimmy Hughes’ flat, from an article by one of your dealers who also has a vinyl channel. He does have a vast collection, reputed to be the largest in the UK, throughout his apartment. How his wife puts up with it I don’t know. He used to acquire handfuls of records on a daily basis. Most of it is classical and what is far more extraordinary is his knowledge of the recordings. If Mr Fremer is the comedian, Jimmy is the straight man and transfixes people with his knowledge and the precision of how he relates it. So when I’ve had the need for an opinion, I’ll ask him. He still writes occasionally, for HiFi+. Along with the-ear.net, my favourite publications, independent with non-nonsense, brief descriptive reviews by wise heads without lists of records. No star systems. He’s just commented positively on the Degritter from Estonia, is I’ll probably have one sooner or later.
Dirk, I did find and read the “Power from the glens” on the internet. A truly impressive natural resource power system. The more of a reason to visit Scotland again and see how the “Hydro boys” dug and carved it into the natural landscape without destroying flora and fauna.
The Scottish are indeed centuries ahead with renewable energy. What is more impressive, is that Scotland is also in the oil and gas businesses as a producer and yet chose to the hard but best method for home power generation.
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As much as I envy the happy fellows with dedicated listening rooms like Fremer, I also wouldn’t want to miss listening to my setup from the kitchen or in the room while doing normal daily routine like breakfast, chilling with friends or whatever.
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hat tip also for the hydro power storage system inside the mountains in Snowdonia. doesn’t produce any power but pump stores power for the uk (typically released at tea time when the ovens and kettles go on).
i’ve camped next to the outflow river for the overflow downstream lake (or something like that, the exact plumbing escapes me) and watched the kayakers as they were washed out into the lake at tea time!
they do a tour of the mountain’s interior but i managed to avoid it every time we were close
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WOW… I take it Jimmy Hughes is down on his luck these days, his room looks like a corporation waste disposal site. Just goes to show - I expected better from him.!
He must levitate throughout the room as there is no floor space and hence the aerial picture.