EDITORIAL POLICIES AUDIOKEY-REVIEWS
Mission Statement
To curate content via reviews of audio componentry in AudioKeyReviews.com and the AudioKeyREVIEWS! Magazine (the Companies), across both the personal HiFi and two-channel (stereo) HiFi worlds. Further, to review music from numerous genres, past and present and to develop and write informative, entertaining, and thought-provoking content, relative to these worlds, and their ‘interconnection.’ To ignite greater interest or, perhaps, a spark of interest in the individual who has travelled the periphery of the HiFi worlds, but who has not entered. To speak, whenever and wherever possible, without the associated jargon or tech-speak to make it easier for this individual to delve more closely into these combined worlds. Last, but certainly not least, to entertain, inspire, and inform.
Philosophical Underpinnings
We believe that music is art and that art is music. And in this the reproduction of music is as valued for us as the production of art by the great masters and the exceptional artists of today. You will find both across our pages.
We approach what we do from a point of positivity and integrity and inclusion. Should a product under review not meet our very subjective criteria, for whatever reason, a poor or flaming review will not be written about the product in question. It shall simply be returned to the manufacture with a brief statement of the “why” to only the manufacturer and not mentioned again. As we believe that fault of a bad review is more often than not indeterminable.
Conflicts of Interest
We will review no product in which we have an interest and we will avoid this, altogether, by taking no interest, financial or otherwise, in any product, company, and/or manufacturer of any given product, across the various personal HiFi and two-channel HiFi worlds. Period. Further, no reviews and no awards or recommendations will be sponsored by the Companies to the benefit of any vendor on a “Pay-toPlay” basis.
Awards, therefore, are based upon the subjective criteria of the Companies’ writers and its editorial staff, only.
Content Contributors
Reviews shall either be instigated by or cleared by the Editor-in-Chief prior to the initiation, shipping, receipt, or term of a component’s review, without exception.
Reviews shall be completed in accordance with the guidelines and term as given by the Editor-in-Chief. And changes in the term for a review must be approved by the Editor-in-Chief.
All conflicts of interest with Vendors, quid pro quo offers are to be avoided, completely, with regard to positive reviews, recommendations, positive editorial analysis, etc.
Review equipment purchased at ‘accommodation pricing’ must be disclosed and must not be sold within a 1-year period, and must not be sold for less than the originally agreed to ‘accommodation pricing’ or standard industry pricing to audio retailers.
Review equipment not purchased or not under long-term loan, via the approval of the Editor-in-Chief, shall be returned, immediately, at the end of the stipulated review term.
Vendors—Manufacturers, Distributors, etc.—Expectations, Requirements & Liabilities
Reviewers shall be granted a period of no more than three months, unless otherwise agreed to in prior correspondence, and no less than two month to review a product submitted or to be submitted for review by Vendor.
Our reviewers are tasked with preserving the various products that they review with great care and diligence and are asked to record the state of the product upon acceptance for our records.
Given this, we set forth the requirement that all products shipped to the Companies, for review, be fully insured by the Vendor against any and all damage resulting from “Acts of God,” fire, accident, theft, to/from transportation issues/accidents, and all other forms of damage, that might befall said product, whilst under review, and that the Companies shall be indemnified and held harmless and that Vendor’s products shall be considered “At risk.”
Further, all costs of shipping and requisite insurance from vendor to reviewer and from reviewer to vendor shall be undertaken by Vendor, without exception.