[Editorial] Some Rambling Notes inspired by a recent HiFi Show Reportage

In future installments of this series, I will address other matters, all inspired by the Milanese exhibition, such as HiFi prices and the Stockholm syndrome, which unfortunately afflicts many HiFi enthusiasts. For today, however, I wish to address the comments (or lack of) received from operators, be they dealers or distributors, whether present at the Milanese exhibition or not. To begin, let me note that I attempted to contact all the operators who were explicitly mentioned in that report, mainly for merits on the sound of the room or for the courage and originality of their exhibition, to give notice and for honesty's sake. Do you believe everyone replied to say “Thank you”? Obviously not. For goodness sake, I'm fine with this, maybe my e-mails got lost in their very dense correspondence. Among those operators who did respond to the article, one stands out; I am not authorized to publish the contents of private e-mails, and I imagine that some operators do not want to expose themselves publicly, but I will quote that one anonymously as outrageously surreal and emblematic of the rest: “It seems inelegant to judge others' activities, I would never allow myself to do so.” SAY WHAT??? Well, this is beyond surreal, my friend. This “gentleman” is so unaccustomed to criticism that when a journalist (and I am one, even an officially registered one) allows himself to make a comment or a note at a PUBLIC demonstration he is reprimanded, as if he had not done his homework well. This is what journalists do, otherwise they would be just press officers for operators. I know it would be wonderful if all journalists were your press officers, perhaps even for free, but the world works differently: you offer yourself and your products to a public exhibition, and the public - journalists included! - judge what they see and hear. Bear in mind this is often done in a constructive spirit, pointing out what can and should be improved, perhaps with minimal effort at your end.

So I was inelegant because I judged what you do? Then I'm proud of being inelegant, but FREE. I have seen many very elegant journalists in the payroll of operators, politicians, lordlings and such. They have always made me feel a bit sick. I understand everyone must make ends meet somehow but... I prefer to be able to look at myself in the mirror every morning without feeling disgusted.

Luckily, not all operators think like this, and several, even those not present at the exhibition, expressed their appreciation to me privately - sometimes in a very concise way. Someone else contacted me by phone to share similar thoughts. There is hope therefore, someone has understood what purpose magazines and journalists serve, even if someone else hasn't. For all these reasons I thank those who understand from the bottom of my heart.

For the sake of truth, I must say that I also received some notes from simple enthusiasts, in particular asserting that my reportage made an erroneous reference to the Milan “HighEnd” exhibition. These meticulous, failed proofreaders pointed me out that the term HighEnd does not appear in the name of the event. Well, my friends, this isn't the case, given that - just look at the official website or the organizer's Facebook page - the full name is as follows: “Milan & Rome Hi fidelity is a hi-end audio & video event dedicated to enthusiasts.” I rest my case. “They who live in glass houses should not throw stones.”

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November 2023 editorial

Some Rambling Notes Inspired by Our Recent Milan HiFidelity Show Reportage - Part II