Sad news regarding Hifi World Magazine

[Riggers]

I guess if I am honest this did not come as a great surprise but I was saddened to hear of the closure of Hifi World magazine. The magazine had obviously changed over the years but I can say without hesitation that without it I would not have considered venturing into the DIY domain and building my own valve amps and 'speakers.

I miss the writers that really had an impression on me such as David Price, Tony Bolton, Paul Rigby and Adam Smith (although I know that David, Paul and Adam continue their writing elsewhere).

Through the magazine and the World Designs projects I have been able to connect with this forum community for which I am very grateful.

Phil.

https://theaudiophileman.com/hifi-wo...-y04X4lwNjUkKE

[bob orbell]

Phill, you have omitted the best person of the mag, Noel Keywood, as for David Price, no other comment. Bob

[Riggers]

You're quite right Bob. The uniqueness of the magazine was undoubtedly due to Noel's courage to speak his opinion even when it may not have gone with the flow. The earlier days of the mag with the DIY focus were its best and Noel made that possible.

Phil.

[Mark]

I didn't know that so thanks for the head up. There is a statement from Noel explaining why here :

https://theaudiophileman.com/hifi-wo...gazine-closes/

As a long time subscriber it is indeed sad news for all the good reasons already stated. I will miss it. Not sure how much, if any, unused subscription I will get back. It's perhaps too early to wonder if it could rise from the ashes as an e-publication only. The only consolation for me is that Stereophile is still going strong :-).

[Pingushome]

Likewise to everyone else it was the mag that opened my eyes to real audio/hifi. Always enjoyed the DIY section and that got me building good kit at a reasonable (affordable) price and I rediscovered valves too in the world of solid state.
As a side effect it got my daughter interested in valves and vinyl in her pre teen and teenage years. She used my system and nicked my mags then for her 18th she asked for a record deck and phono amp which she took to Swansea University with her
Noel’s contribution was always thought provoking and interesting.
Still have the first 12 or 13 yrs of the mag but in latter years with the demise of the DIY bits my copies are somewhat more spaced out,
Still sad news and one less title to browse on the news stands.
Thanks to all those knowledgeable contributors
Martin

[michael orme]

Sad HIFI WORLD magazine gone. The only hifi magazine I bought on a regular basis. I liked the more technical and scientific way products were tested, especially cartridges and speakers. I've bought a few hifi products on the magazine's recommendation.
I couldn't buy the magazine locally, not even in WHSmith, so always a bit of a trek. I did like the Computer Audio supplement at the back, but I seem to be in a minority on that. Paul Rigby is on Facebook. Not sure about the others.

[Stanton]

It’s a shame HiFi World is going. I’m only an occasional reader these days but thought it the best of the High Street paper mags. I only discovered the magazine in 2010 when my interest in HiFi was rekindled and it was mentions of WAD and World Designs that led me to buying my WD KT88 XL from Matthew, thus the magazine has had a considerable influence on my current musical enjoyment. I wish Noel and the others involved in HiFi World all the best for the future.

[Phil Y]

Sad but kind of inevitable I fear. The general public are far less interested in HiFi than they were a couple of decades ago and HiFi World readers were a niche subset of that decreasing demographic. A "mass market" publication like What HiFi probably has a better chance of surviving, not that I ever buy it!

Like many of us, I got to know of WAD/WD from the magazine so I am grateful that it existed. It certainly helped shape my HiFi life.

Phil.

[Richard]

Yes, sad to lose Hifi World, here’s Noel’s notice on Enjoy the Music.com which explains it was a victim of Covid,

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/hifi_world/

I was trying to remember his pre-World reviewing and the earliest I could recall was one on cartridges in the late 70’s.

Here’s one of his on tonearms in HFN March 1978,

https://worldradiohistory.com/Archiv...ws-1978-03.pdf

It brought back a few memories looking through that magazine with all my old kit in it, happy days!

Many thanks and best wishes Noel.

[colin.hepburn]

Hi All
Yes it was also my go-to mag from about 1991 they were all stored in the loft until recently but I did keep a few of the best issues and the Diy supplements

the reviewer paul Riley also has a youtube and patron channel but sorry I can't rate him well most kit he has is either too expensive or too cheap and not really what I call a review sorry just my view on his youtube channel but good luck to him at least he is trying to keep the industry alive here is the link for the youtube channal
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAudiophileMan