ZZounds Reviews...

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http://www.unitedmusicians.info
Contributor Since: Nov 11, 2007

Does anyone else get the feeling that the reviewers on Zzounds are way too enthusiastic? I don't mean to sling mud, but some of the stories just seem a too dramatic "I dropped this thing off the 4th story of an apartment in the Bronx and it still sounds just as good!!! I'm surprised they don't charge 3 or four times what they do for this product!!!".

a.) No matter how much I've paid for anything, I've never felt like I should have paid more. Maybe I'm making the wrong purchases.
b.) The Bronx? Really? I hear street life is tougher in the Bronx than in Iowa...but I rarely hear that the concrete is harder. Why would you put that in a review? Sounds like romanticized equipment propaganda to me.

I don't think I've ever seen a product dip below the 5 rating...

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Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Jul 06, 2009 09:24 pm

I have to agree. Lately it seems their reviews have been a bit over the top. I know I've been guilty though as well of really hyping the good things about a product at time though in my reviews. But not to that extent.

I will however vouch for an SM57 being able to be dropped from a 747 at cruising altitude and surviving the fall, from hitting concrete in the Bronx.

I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003

Jul 07, 2009 11:23 am

It's just kind of the nature of leaving reviews on the internet. Generally, the only times that anybody is going to be moved to write a review of a product is if they really hated it and need to let everybody know how bad it sucked, or if they had a bad experience with customer service, or they really loved it. Same goes for Amazon, Musician's Friend, ePinions, or really any place online where user feedback is allowed/welcomed. If the product is just OK, then most everybody is too indifferent to care to write a review at all.

The thing is, when somebody gets a new piece of gear, they tend to be enamored with it. There's a honeymoon period where all they see are the cool things about the product. And right when it arrives on their doorstep, they've taken it out of the box, plugged it in, played with it for a few minutes is when they tend to write their reviews. So you end up with a meaningless 10/10 review that's full of superlatives and exclamation points.

I'm guilty of the same thing, I've written a few online reviews that make the reviewed item seem like its the best thing to happen to the world since the telegraph.

The best thing to do is let the initial giddyness of a new piece of gear wear off a bit so you can write an objective review instead of a review that a mother would write about her own son.

SM7b the Chuck Noris of Mic's
Contributor
Since: Jun 20, 2002

Jul 07, 2009 01:41 pm

i read a lot of reviews when shoping around or when i'm just bored. I've only wrote a few. The few i've done have been here, and/or it's a product i've had for some time. I have just a few things in my studio that i love/ use a lot. Shameful plug, cakewalk Sonar (2- and up) been in my studio for years , my PODxt , i've used it on 90% of my recordings, Event monitors have lasted almost 10 years and sound good still, and a new found fav is the great SM7 . when "they" say a studio shouldn't be without, i would agree.

http://www.unitedmusicians.info
Contributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007

Jul 07, 2009 06:45 pm

I definitely see where you're coming from Tad, I just haven't seen any bad reviews on Zzounds in a long time. I'm much more convinced by Harmony Central and Gearslutz reviews...they tend to seem more realistic.

I read a couple convincing reviews on the quality of a Sennheiser e835 being great. I love SM57's, but I don't like Sm58's nearly as much...the one's I've used have been pretty mediocre in my opinion. I think I may buy a e835 for live vocals...what do you guys think?

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Jul 07, 2009 08:41 pm

I know a couple people that have used them and are pretty happy with them. Tolerable fairly low self noise. A nice even pick up pattern and a pretty well round sound with a bit of a bump in the upper end. Around 5k or so I do believe. The high end drops off pretty rapidly from about 11 or 12k on. But it is a good live mic. I don't know much about its durability though. Maybe Rob will chime in on that. I would guess he might know that mic as well.

http://www.unitedmusicians.info
Contributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007

Jul 08, 2009 11:14 am

Awesome! I was hoping to find something that shined in the higher frequencies, I end up with too much low end on my vocals with a lot of condensers. I'm thinking about getting the MXL 2003 with a rolloff for recording, and the e835 for live. Open to suggestions. I have a bassy voice that seems too powerful at times...I bet the MXL 2003 with a little dbx160a would sound good.

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006

Jul 08, 2009 11:19 am

My singer just picked up the Audix OM6, very good little mic. Although I can't attest to the durability (my OM2 is years old and going strong though) I will say the rejection and minimal gain needed are fantastic.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Jul 09, 2009 08:40 pm

Have you looked into any of the Audio Technica mic's in the 30 series.

When I have a bigger voice that has a lot of low end in it, mine can be like that as well. I sometimes turn to the AT3035. It has a bit of push on the upper end and as well has a low cut switch.

http://www.unitedmusicians.info
Contributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007

Jul 09, 2009 10:32 pm

thanks Capn and Noize...Microphones are going to be my next major investment, methinks...

Noize: reading the review...I like the descriptions people are giving it and the price is right. You say you like it...but I will only be sold if you tell me you really REALLY like it...

Cpt: Any maintenance/sensitivity issues that you know of on the OM6? I'm clumsy. Some people online have knocked this mic's durability and one guy said the housing is super noisy if bumped. This tells me I might easily crunch the thing. If I were to buy a dynamic mic at that price it I want it to be built like a tank, sound like a condenser, and cook me breakfast every morning. Do I need to spend this much to get a dynamic with a flatter response than the SM58....with the 58 lows have seemed boomy, "sh"'s and "s"s have been a little cutting. Could have been the PA's I've gone through I guess...but I've played a lot of places using a lot of 58's.

I've been listening to that "Blues Singer" album by Buddy Guy and A.) That guy is an amazing singer B.) I have never heard vocals sound better on a recording in my opinion.

I saw him last time he was in KC, AMAZING vocals...wonder what he uses...I could drop a thrifty nickel on anything that sounds that good. Condensor's aren't used live very frequently are they? I imagine they would feed back? Unless that hypercardioid pattern compensates for the sensitivity?

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Jul 09, 2009 10:55 pm

Nope, condenser's are not a good idea live. I've known a lot that have used them and I cringe at the thought most times.

If a get a couple of minutes this weekend I'll do a quick take on a couple of my mic's that have a pretty round bottom on them and then do two takes with the 3035 one without the low cut and one with.

Then you can judge if I REALLY like it. Or if you REALLY like it.

http://www.unitedmusicians.info
Contributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007

Jul 10, 2009 05:44 am

haha awesome...thanks so much, that's perfect.

Eat Spam before it eats YOU!!!
Member
Since: May 11, 2002

Jul 10, 2009 06:21 am

I don't know about zzsounds but tigerdirect will delete bad reviews and give some BS reason ... like only recent purchases can be reviewed.


I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003

Jul 10, 2009 10:27 am

Now that's cheap! That kind of thing really irritates the hell out of me.

Although, I've always had my suspicions about Musician's Friend's customer reviews and rating system. They have a separate function that allows you to just rate a product without writing a review. I have to wonder how many of those ratings are made by employees.

Same goes for the written reviews though. It seems that way too many people leave superficial, one-sentence reviews that praise a product with no real justification. "This pedal is great, its the best!" or my personal favorite "10/10, this amp is totally awesome. Mine comes in the mail tomorrow." So you think it's a perfect 10 but you have yet to lay your hands on it?

Or you get the kid who's upgrading from a Rogue electric guitar to an Epiphone Les Paul. Now the Epi LP is not a bad guitar, but put up against a Rogue, it'll come off looking like a freaking hand-made custom-shop gem. "10/10 this guitar is awesome it has pickups and i plug it in to my amp and it makes noise its great i love it also my mom says it sounds awesome!!!!111!1!11".

Member
Since: Sep 03, 2008

Jul 18, 2009 10:16 pm

Every item ive purchased that had a 10/10 rating ended up being a 6 or 7 at best. I used to get sucked in by reviews on zzounds and sweetwater. I just go to forums now and sometimes recording mag reviews. Im pretty sure employees of these company's write the awsome reviews and probably give 1/10 to there closest competitor. I notice on some sites they have a "confirmed customer purchase"logo which is pretty cool.

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