Sound & Vision website abandoned?

[HomeTheaterGuy]

The Sound & Vision website hasn't been updated in 5 months. Does anyone know if they're out of business?

[David Vaughn]

The Sound & Vision website hasn't been updated in 5 months. Does anyone know if they're out of business?

Yes. The parent company pulled the plug in December when they let Mark Henninger go. They didn't even bother to send out any type of an announcement to their contributors. I found out second-hand. Then again, I didn't write any articles in 2025 for the publication, which I had some philosophical differences in how it was being run. Funny enough, I told a friend early in Q1 2025 that I would be shocked if it were still a going concern 12 months from then---turns out I was right.

Regardless, the site is supposed to stay up for archival purposes, but if you really want something that's there, better archive it because I'm not sure how long they'll keep it going.  

[SRW1000]

Yes. The parent company pulled the plug in December when they let Mark Henninger go. They didn't even bother to send out any type of an announcement to their contributors. I found out second-hand. Then again, I didn't write any articles in 2025 for the publication, which I had some philosophical differences in how it was being run. Funny enough, I told a friend early in Q1 2025 that I would be shocked if it were still a going concern 12 months from then---turns out I was right.

Regardless, the site is supposed to stay up for archival purposes, but if you really want something that's there, better archive it because I'm not sure how long they'll keep it going. 

That's so sad.  First with the abandonment of physical issues and the slow decline of the website.  It was one of the publications that really fueled my interest in home theater and offered insight to readers on electronics, setup and usage, and the content worth watching.

[bmoney]

I used to love all publications. Magazines were awesome. 

[Paul Heroy]

Sad to hear. I visited the S&V website occasionally but it's been a while. I had subs to most of the major A/V mags at some point (except for some reason The Absolute Sound), and a couple of smaller ones like The Audio Critic. The only one left is Stereophile, which frankly I read more these days for some pretty good music reviews. (Their jazz critic is very good.)

I've been bitching elsewhere on other subjects about the demise of print and the rise of YouTube as a primary source of news, info, reviews etc. There are a lot of unknown agendas and paid shills out there. I've always preferred to read as it's quicker and engages the brain better, allowing more thoughtful ingestion. Now it's getting even worse with AI being used to produce stuff that's frequently not checked or understood.

The other problem I have with Stereophile is that while it's always been high end oriented, it seems to have crawled along with the industry into concentrating on a ridiculously expensive pricing strategy oriented towards selling a small number to rich folks with more money than time to spend on assessing gear. Here are the review prices from the last 2 months:

June - $45k, $29k, $25.5k, $13k, $20k, $45k
May - $199k, $6500, $11.5k, $40k, $38.5k, $9k, $800 (headphones), $5500 (ethernet switch)

[bmoney]

Yeah those price points are kinda rediculous. Makes it pointless to read

[HomeTheaterGuy]

Yeah those price points are kinda rediculous. Makes it pointless to read

I'd like to see more reviews for mid-priced gear, like the stuff AVS sells.

[bmoney]

I'd like to see more reviews for mid-priced gear, like the stuff AVS sells.

same.  i think that would be beneficial to a wider audience

[SRW1000]

I'd like to see more reviews for mid-priced gear, like the stuff AVS sells.

Much of this has moved to the web and/or YouTube space, with channels like Youthman, Audiohaulics, Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity.  It looks like Widescreen Review is still being published, at least online, and the subscription is free:  https://www.widescreenreview.com/subscribe.php

I just signed up to see what they have to offer. 

[bmoney]

some of those youtube reviews are just terrible tho.  

[SRW1000]

some of those youtube reviews are just terrible tho. 

Yep, they're definitely a mixed bag.  The key is to find someone who's opinions line up with yours and see what they like and don't like about the equipment.  I've often found that seeing key features on screen can be even more impactful that reading about it on a brochure.  

[bmoney]

They all start out great. Then start getting kickback to give reviews. And jump the shark big time 

[David Vaughn]

They all start out great. Then start getting kickback to give reviews. And jump the shark big time

I've never been given a kickback for a review. Nor have I ever heard of that being done (at least at the writer level). 

[bmoney]

I've never been given a kickback for a review. Nor have I ever heard of that being done (at least at the writer level).

Very common for YouTube influencers. Or at least given the gear for free in exchange for a posit e review 

[SRW1000]

It lives?!?!?!?  Kind of:

Some exciting news.

Sound & Vision, which will again be led by Editor Mike Mettler, will be revived as an online property under the Pray Media Holdings banner alongside Stereophile, Analog Planet (which is also led by Mettler), and Shutterbug. We're honored to both resume our sacred A/V mission and be part of this enthusiast brand powerhouse, to say the least.

Full announcement and press release on the website: Pray Media Holdings Announces Acquisition of AVTech Media Americas and Its Iconic Enthusiast Media Brands | Sound & Vision