The Article
HiFi World Magazine Closes
12th September 2022
I have just received this sad news from the editor and publisher of HiFi World, Noel Keywood
The release says…
“Published since 1991, I regret to tell you that after 32 years Hi-Fi World magazine must now cease publication, since the company producing it – Audio Web Publishing Ltd – has became financially unviable due to loss of bookstand sales in the High Street, at railway stations and airports around the world during the Covid Pandemic. Until 2019 Audio Web Publishing Ltd was trading profitably, but has currently ceased to do so.
“As director I am obliged to liquidate the company and have appointed KSA Group Ltd (licensed insolvency practitioners) to assist and place the company into a creditors voluntary liquidation in order to protect creditors interests.
“All creditors of the company will receive, by post, from KSA Group Ltd, details of a forthcoming creditors meeting and how to make a claim in the liquidation for any financial loss you may have, or are likely to incur.
“I offer heartfelt thanks to all the readers who have supported us for so long. It was the work of my lifetime and very enjoyable too. Thank you all so much. Noel Keywood, publisher.”
As many of you will know, I was a contributor to the magazine. In fact, the longest serving contributor until very recently. I’ll be sad to see it go. It was an odd, quirky little magazine which offered a voice, all its own. It scooted off in its own direction. It never felt corporate. If anything, it was the closest HiFi news-stand magazine I know to a hobbyist publication.
And that’s why I liked it. That’s why I was attracted to writing for the thing, all those years ago.
And end of an era.
Hi Fi World was indeed quirky, but also not afraid to go out on a limb. Think back to how it reviewed the virtues of valve amplifiers, and then direct drive drive turntables when the UK Hi Fi Press UK was still obsessively tied to Linn Sondeks and Naim Amplifiers. They provided a much needed context (while still giving due regard to the excellence of those manufacturers). I did despair sometimes when it came to their own personal quirks, and wrote to them about it … always published though, so they were not above criticism regarding their quirks!
I also have that Mary Black CD, and I am pretty sure the original in my box of copies in the attic.
It is a shame they could not manage the web and web site side of things. I am sure that this is a factor in their demise.
The limb they went out on, and were prepared to go out on, is lost for now I fear. Even the mighty Audiophile Man cannot replace that … mainstream vs quirky, I’ll take quirky.
Simon
I live in France and I discovered HFW in. an airport in the south of North America it was in 1991. When I returned to France I subscribed to the magazine and I was reading it since even if during the last years the content was not so enjoyable certainly due to the economic recession, the brexit and the introduction of awful streamers test. I would like to produce a real hi-fi mag myself focusing on real supports , cd vinyls tapes and so on. The vintage section would be large of course with history of iconic brands and articles on music of course.
Certainly we will adapt the publication to the few enthusiasts remaining, I mean not a monthly magazine but a regular issue every two or three months. Only on paper.
I wait PR or other people inclined to share their knowledge and their capacity to analyze a product to join me.
Write if you care to :[email protected]
Thanks
A sad day bought the magazine from the start still using kls1 loudspeakers,diy supplements computer audio no other magazine was doing this. Reg
A sad letter dropped into my Mail box today. I have been a subscriber from Norway since The year 2010. Evert month I have read the magazine lefted om my doormath. I hope you some day may come back. Best wishes from subscriber in Normay
Was my favourite Hi-Fi mag, especially reading up on all the old world bits of kit. I was wondering why I couldn’t get my monthly fix in Smiths.
Best of luck to you all for the future, will be missed
Thanks Grant.
Sorry to hear of Hi-Fi World’s demise. I always bought the January edition which included the yearly Hi-Fi Awards, and now I’m going to be left wondering what the best picks of 2022 were.
Hi sad to hear of closing the mag. I won a Ming Da amp 4 years ago still going strong. Will miss it every month.
Very sorry to hear that. But frankly not completely unexpected. I used to buy some magazines in digital format to read reviews of cartridges, tonearms and turntables because they came with expertise as well as with measurements. But basically 90% of each magazine was of no interest for me (in the time I had an abonnement). You get much reviews of many things nowadays online, for example for headphones. And I simply cannot stand obvious bias, for example when only recently a review glowed about a very expensive CD-drive by Pro-ject, basically putting the sense of it not at all into question. A CD-drive?! Bit perfect are all of them I guess. If there is a difference, subjective or measured, make it a topic. But just reiterating the marketing blabla, who needs that? Same applies to Hifi News, one of the best aside Hi-Fi World, but pointless and useless to 90% of content as well. I don‘t understand why different times did not lead to different editorial approaches. I am sure there is a market for valuable reviews. And people tend to pay for real value. Nevertheless I feel sorry!
Wow Paul that’s a nice prize. Certainly trumps my Jays headphones and mains lead.
I thought I was just unlucky and had missed the copies in Smiths
Was somewhat annoyed when searching for Hi FI World to see three copies of a publication called Hungarian Conservative!! No wonder I thought there is no space for hi-fi mags
Nothing against Hungarians or Conservatives per say (apart from who they vote for) but really can that be worth stocking , even in Durham city centre? The world is mad who would read about caravans when you can look at hi-fi never mind look at Hungarian Conservatives. Hope Noel and crew resurface somewhere!