After 32 years, Hi-Fi World magazine has ceased publication. The company producing it has became financially unviable due to loss of bookstand sales in the High Street and at railway stations and airports around the world during the Covid Pandemic.
I've been a long time subscriber and will be sad to see it go as it was the closest Hi-Fi magazine I know to a hobbyist publication.
Unfortunately, the September 2022 issue was destined to be the last.
The magazine was the work of a lifetime for the editor and publisher, Noel Keywood and I wish him and all those associated with the magazine all the best for the future.
Some members may remember Hi-Fi World's excellent DIY Supplements (see attachments).
I've been a long time subscriber and will be sad to see it go as it was the closest Hi-Fi magazine I know to a hobbyist publication.
Unfortunately, the September 2022 issue was destined to be the last.
The magazine was the work of a lifetime for the editor and publisher, Noel Keywood and I wish him and all those associated with the magazine all the best for the future.
Some members may remember Hi-Fi World's excellent DIY Supplements (see attachments).
Attachments
I feel old. I remember when it first appeared on the news stands. Wasn't the style I wanted at the time so only bought a couple of issues. Not a bad run for a specialist mag.
That is sad to hear, it's the only one I'd regularly get, although I would have a flick through first to see if anything in new issue interested me. I liked the pictures of the "gubbins", often there'd be a picture of the inside of the amp/CD player/DAC that was under review. I started to get it less when the availability of cheap circuit boards (from Amazon) made DIY so much easier, and it made the (almost) empty biscuit tins at £2k + seem over priced by comparison, although the costs of running a hifi store must come from somewhere. I did like the use of language in the reviews, and it had the feel of being written by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, instead of by journalists. I learned a lot from the Peter Comeau articles and enjoyed the readers letters.
wow, i definitely feel old. i remember often searching for it it too for the occasional diy articles. it was a tough magazine for me to find. i found a superb newstand that reliably had it and several other HiFi and electronics magazines from outside the US. Of course, you've probably guessed by now that I'm going to say it's closed 🙁
I'm now old enough to say "I miss the good ole days" and mean it ...
I'm now old enough to say "I miss the good ole days" and mean it ...
Member
Joined 2009
Paid Member
I've enjoyed reading this magazine several times over the years.
To be honest, I've stopped reading all magazines these days, they are simply too expensive for the worth I get from them and in many cases (not saying it's true in this case) the quality of journalism has sunk so low that I was buying magazines for the pretty pictures more than anything else. Now I get all the pretty pictures (hi-fi) on the 'net.
To be honest, I've stopped reading all magazines these days, they are simply too expensive for the worth I get from them and in many cases (not saying it's true in this case) the quality of journalism has sunk so low that I was buying magazines for the pretty pictures more than anything else. Now I get all the pretty pictures (hi-fi) on the 'net.
TBH, I have little sympathy for Noel Keywood of "Hi-Fi World". The Man who turned down system7 (me) as the sub-editor of his magazine. How daft was that?
I rocked up to his sweatshop Publication in North London seeking after a massively well-paying job. We got on like a house on fire about matters Hi-Fi. Unfortunately Me and his (then) Editor had significant differences about Hi-Fi.
His Editor, and there is no nice way to say this, was an idiot! We hated each other in the second interview. I went home content his job was a poisoned chalice. Best avoided.
It would have resulted in me murdering his Editor on my way to the top. I don't like being put into such unethical situations.
I am Classically trained in Music. I know what the real stuff sounds like. I am a Promenader.
I do not regret the attitude I put on against his cloth-eared fool in Music. I stick to my principles.
Hope that makes sense. Good luck, Noel. A good man led astray, IMO. 🙂
I rocked up to his sweatshop Publication in North London seeking after a massively well-paying job. We got on like a house on fire about matters Hi-Fi. Unfortunately Me and his (then) Editor had significant differences about Hi-Fi.
His Editor, and there is no nice way to say this, was an idiot! We hated each other in the second interview. I went home content his job was a poisoned chalice. Best avoided.
It would have resulted in me murdering his Editor on my way to the top. I don't like being put into such unethical situations.
I am Classically trained in Music. I know what the real stuff sounds like. I am a Promenader.
I do not regret the attitude I put on against his cloth-eared fool in Music. I stick to my principles.
Hope that makes sense. Good luck, Noel. A good man led astray, IMO. 🙂
It was a terribly typical rag of its time, and I for one will not rue its passing one iota...
Yes i like the pretty picks of exotica audio which i will never own and frankly i like building myself diy rules. As for the reviews thats anybodies guess . Lastly my thanks to this man who no doubt worked tirelessly.
'Popular Mechanics', 'Science Digest', 'Popular Science'....still around?
I think even 'Audio' is gone...'Reader's Digest'?
$5 and up is too much, mostly ads and paid articles.
I think even 'Audio' is gone...'Reader's Digest'?
$5 and up is too much, mostly ads and paid articles.
I'm revisiting this thread to let interested parties know that all copies of Hi-Fi World, since its inception in 1991 and its demise in 2022, are now archived in the World Radio History site: https://worldradiohistory.com/Hi-Fi-World-UK.htm
DIY audio enthusiasts may find the diy supplements interesting if not the magazines themselves.
DIY audio enthusiasts may find the diy supplements interesting if not the magazines themselves.
You know that a magazine has to have a relationship with its sponsors. Sponsors might not like a blunt engineer type editing the magazine.
It's the age old antipathy between engineers and marketing staff. Marketing want to spend more money on frills, pomp, and well, marketing; engineers want to spend more money on actually making the product better. And the only field that rivals hi-fi for marketing blather of the most bovine feces nature is maybe cars.
"Audio" went a long time ago. Remember when they actually published DIY projects? I guess I should get right on finishing the Leach Double Barrel Amplifier. I've owned an unfinished pair since the 1980s, and this century got an oversized pair of Plitron toroid transformers for them.
I'm enormously grateful for Worldradiohistory making these old magazines available, but I wish the scan quality was better.
I'm enormously grateful for Worldradiohistory making these old magazines available, but I wish the scan quality was better.
I used to buy the mag in the 90's, especially when there was a DIY supplement - should have they somewhere??
For me, who hasn't system7's story the magazine was a great source of info as I saw the magazines over here (Sweden) a bit biased (which maybe HiFi World also was). But the DIY Supplements made the magazine worth buying anyhow.
For me, who hasn't system7's story the magazine was a great source of info as I saw the magazines over here (Sweden) a bit biased (which maybe HiFi World also was). But the DIY Supplements made the magazine worth buying anyhow.