Challenges for a headphone reviewer in Finland

Author: Sword of Damocles

Kuulokenurkka turns five this year, during which time the two of us writers have published nearly 200 Finnish-language reviews of headphones and and accessories. Our operations are guided by independence, non-commercialism, and community-drivenness in a field otherwise dominated by commercial magazines and websites. There aren't many of these either, and for them, headphones are just a small sub-area among other audio reproduction and electronics. It can therefore be stated that specifically in the field of headphones, Kuulokenurkka has become one of the most important sources of information in Finland. However, this has not happened easily, so in this article, I want to tell you about the challenges I have encountered as a headphone reviewer in such a small market area.

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Over the years, domestic importers and retailers have pleasingly agreed to lend products they represent for testing – some with truly open minds and others fearing negative reviews. From a headphone reviewer's perspective, the situation is a constant balancing act, as praise generally promotes the sales of tested products, while criticism can make informed consumers avoid a certain product. In the name of honesty, we reviewers should be on the side of consumers, but at the same time, it's not worth completely tearing down any inferior product, because otherwise, new test loans might no longer be available.

In Kuulokenurkka's case, this has most affected the fact that I consciously do not request products for loan that I know are worse than average. This is simply the safest approach, and I acquire some of these products for testing at my own expense – sometimes directly from abroad, so that readers receive honest information also about brands that are not imported into Finland.

Based on my observations, headphone manufacturers are happy to receive even more critical feedback, whereas product importers and retailers would not particularly want to hear it. This is understandable in a way, because Finland is a small country. A single negative review does not show in an international manufacturer's results, while a local seller's operations depend more directly on the sales of a specific brand. In such cases, honesty may not be appreciated. However, I myself wonder, aren't some sellers really interested in offering consumers good products rather than bad ones?

Among other things, I have been told directly that lending products for testing would be a commercial risk or that it's not worth lending because I only have bad things to say anyway. A lack of 'game sense' has also been hinted at when I didn't try to hide the obvious weaknesses of a certain expensive headphone model. If I weren't honest, who would read my reviews anymore?

Ultimately, nothing prevents me from acquiring the same products for testing through other channels, so no one is safe by refusing cooperation. Conversely, by completely ignoring these brands, a domestic operator merely reduces the visibility of the products they represent compared to competitors who cooperate with me and offer products for test loans. Digging into a trench is therefore not necessarily as profitable as it might initially seem. I do understand, of course, if lending products is too cumbersome or otherwise impossible. I won't worry about it too much, as there have been enough smooth partnerships so far. I also receive some products directly from manufacturers. Thanks equally to all!

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Nowadays, operating completely independently, on the other hand, is starting to feel the most appealing, because for one reason or another, test arrangements have become more laborious. It can be read between the lines that not all my partners are as interested in the matter as before. This naturally increases my threshold for asking for products to loan in the future. For example, it has happened that new headphones from a well-known brand were already being sent to me, but then communication from the importer's side stopped dead. So nothing is certain until it is certain. In a larger market area, there would be more alternatives, so acting as a headphone reviewer in Finland is not the easiest. Nevertheless, I still primarily aim for it.

As cooperation options decrease, a few enthusiasts have rushed to help by lending their headphones for review – THANK YOU. I have also contacted several parties regarding new cooperation arrangements, but for example, I received no contact from HiFi Klubben or Audiokauppa, even though I sent messages to multiple addresses. Doesn't the lack of response to messages say something about the general level of customer service? One could also call the companies, but I'd rather give some time to ponder such a matter before discussing it in more detail. However, it's never too late, so let's see if new connections form someday. Perhaps some people are too busy nowadays to respond to messages from an individual headphone reviewer or to remember to finalize preliminarily agreed-upon matters.

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Many may have noticed me writing articles for AVPlus magazine, until this cooperation ended in complete silence with the magazine outrageously failing to pay my latest writer's fee (invoice) and no longer responding to my messages. Since then, new people have been writing headphone articles, so I draw my own conclusions from this. The matter hardly got stuck on money, as I offered my expertise and measurement skills, in my opinion, too cheaply. Perhaps it could be some kind of misunderstanding, but for my part, the cooperation is now permanently buried.

Having learned from this, I will probably no longer get involved in such arrangements, although another domestic magazine once suggested that I write headphone articles for them too. Unfortunately, this also remained only at the idea stage, because the editor-in-chief never called me despite his intentions. You can surely already see a recurring pattern in communication problems. Cooperation does not succeed if both parties are not committed to it. I am not desperate, however, and I can manage on my own.

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Despite my slight frustration and everything I've told you, I'm not bitter, as in my view, such challenges and setbacks are, so to speak, part of the business. Kuulokenurkka will gladly continue to cooperate with companies and operators who wish to do so. I also enjoy the opportunity to offer a counterbalance to commercial content, which is intended to generate money. At Kuulokenurkka, there are no commercial pressures; instead, the operation is freer, and everything is free for readers. The site does not feature a login requirement, ad bombardment, or paywalls.

Because the content, often with various headphone measurements, is also more in-depth than commercial operators, Kuulokenurkka will surely find its own niche in the future. Currently, the site is growing by about 20 percent annually by most metrics, even though it is simultaneously claimed that people no longer bother to read long texts but prefer short videos. However, I argue that people are gradually getting tired of superficiality and crave real reviews instead of quick tasters. Hopefully, this will be the case in the future, as what rewards me most is precisely that you read my articles. No one in a country the size of Finland would earn enough money just by testing headphones, so I don't recommend headphone reviewer jobs as a day job.