They aren't saving you money if you buy something based on specs and it sounds poor in your system.
I'm not aware of a single person on ASR who has reported such a problem.
@prof good luck with that. Don't say I didn't warn you.
I have a Benchmark LA4 that I bought partially due to ASR's review and I'm thrilled with it. Same with some cable recommendations.
For instance since I know some audiophiles who have expensive cables sometimes if I'm in a pinch I borrow from them. For a while I had interconnects costing over $4,500/pair in my system (and well reviewed). Double checking specs with the ASR folks I replaced them with $50 regular pro-grade cables.
There isn't an iota of sound/detail or anything missing in replacing those expensive cables. What a bummer if I thought I had to spend that type of money on cables....
So, thanks for the "warning" but I'll be ok ;-)
(BTW, I don't see eye-to-eye with ASR members on everything. I like gear many there wouldn't like. But, hey, people are different. ASR is a great source for information though).