the quest for the best--within limits

It is multifactorial but one of the most important contributors is that many Audiophiles cannot audition the gear they can afford. As such they rely on the less likely to have an inherent bias from forum contributors versus the conflict of interest almost all magazine reviewers have to deal with. There just aren't enough Brick and Mortors.

There are so many threads like that because everyone wants the best. Right?

They are lazy. Many of the questions have been asked before. A few strokes of the keyboard will find the answers to many questions asked.

Dover,
You make a good point, the audiogon archives are rich with information on many topics. Redundancy is expected I guess with most open forums. Classic example," what amplifier/how much power is needed to drive magnaplanars". You could spend a day reading the number of posts on that popular issue.
Regards,

People do have a hard time with the search function. (How long until competitive googling becomes a sport?) But I also think that looking for equipment on the used market expands the possible options far beyond what most people have seen or heard, and it's suspiciously easy to find reviews that say whatever it is that's being reviewed is the "best." Some people seem to find forum members more credible than reviewers ... not sure why. :)