oregonpapa (Frank) - Thanks for the cordial response. I don’t think receiving a product for free obligates the receiver to post a favorable review but if the person wants to establish a relationship with the manufacturer and keep the freebies coming they would naturally be inclined to give a very positive review. I would hope a person wouldn’t be dishonest just to get free product but full disclosure allows a reader to make their own judgments.
We see this all the time with "professional" reviewers. They review the same companies over and over consistently spewing-out positive reviews. Toss-in the "reviewers discount" they usually get, the free meals at shows, the in-home delivery/setup/consultation and you’ve got to wonder if the relationship is a little too cozy.
A big reason I like reading "non-professional" reviews is because you assume the person actually bought the product and is not being "paid" in anyway for their time or effort to write the review. This is especially true when a money back guarantee is involved - they have decided it truly was worth investing their own money and didn’t return it.
As to my positive comments on products, I can assure you I’ve paid for all of them except for the Burson Audio cables I reviewed which I now agree Audiocircle correctly nixed.