what's your opinion on the magazine 'stereo review'??

Are you sure? I’m pretty sure they’re Swedish.

I read Stereo Review religiously when I was a kid. Found the record reviews great, but found the equipment reviews too much like Consumer Reports.

I don't think that Julian Hirsch had it in him to write disparaging copy on anyone, and that really cost me when as a 19 year old I followed Hirsch's recommendation and bought an AR Amp. What a horrible sounding POS, but a lesson learned.

I think most if not all stereo magazines are paid by the manufacturers to review their equipment based on how much money they give to the magazine or to the person writing the reviews.  They often will sell their gear at cost to the writer in order to receive a good review.  Be curious to find out how much money they hand out for good reviews.  My nephew wrote for Stereophile Magazine and Revel Harmon basically gave him the speakers he was reviewing.  He paid a fraction of the cost for all of the equipment he owns as a result of writing an excellent review.  Based on this, how many reviews are written to reveal the honest truth?

"They often will sell their gear at cost to the writer in order to receive a good review."

Why do reviewers buy equipment when they get different new ones to review all the time? When do they have time to listen to their own?