I take most reviews as product information, entertainment, but absolute ZERO, NIL, NADA, NIET credibility as to their conclusions and listening comments.
It is all so subjective anyways you look at it.
How many PAGES have appeared on Magico products in the Absolute Sound in the last 3 years? Ridiculous. Not too subtle in hiding their obvious bias, and I donÂt mean a listening bias, but a commercial one.
And when the reviewer (happens a lot) ends a review with a strong endorsement and with the proverbial ''its THAT good'' statement, I find it so condescending and pompous. As if the reviewerÂs ears were godÂs gift to the world.
Even worse is the famous ÂÂI liked it so much I bought the review sampleÂÂ this is nothing to identify with the common audiophile.
Sure, I would agree that getting a $ 6,000 amplifier would be good enough for me to purchase If I had access to dealer price  when it is not totally free of course.
My all-time favorite reviewer HAS to be good ÂOl Sam ÂÂwine & dine me in EuropeÂÂ Tellig. At least he ADMITS to being received like a king visiting some manufacturer in the Italian countryside.
The guyÂs probably half-deaf, but heÂs funny and entertaining to boot.
Most other reviewers take themselves SO seriously, working hard to come up with complicated, wanna-be aristocratic and upper-crust words to describe the ÂÂairÂÂ around the ÂÂvarious and enlightening tapestry of emotionally evocative colors to be heard in the all-important midrangeÂÂ What bull. I am exaggerating of course, but not that much IÂm afraid.
ThatÂs all reviews are to me. Entertainment, and itÂs good enough for what it is.