magazine reviews


when a piece of gear gets reviewed in a magazine i see it pop up several weeks later in different systems in "virtual systems." is this just because the item is new and some people are bound to buy it, or do people buy it just because a magazine gave it a good review?
ketchup
" You talkin ta me ? " hehehe I recently got the CJ Act 2 and about the time it arrived , i saw the Stereophile review. It was a pretty lame review all in all and was about as comprehensive as a 2 page review of the constitution . No , I didnt go on the review nor do many of us but it helps stoke out interest to audition. Reviews can be useful to an extent but try before you buy if you can.
Sometimes the reviews can lead the parade, as in the case of the Prima Luna Prologue Two. It was mentioned highly first by Hi Fi Review and then reviewed by Stereophile; Absolute Sound; and HiFi Plus almost simultaneously. I have to admit that that caught my attention and I put off changing speakers, to buy a Prologue Two ... I was actually very satisfied with my amp, a NAD C320BEE.

Now, the P2 is a different animal in that Upscale Audio is the sole US distributor and in fact, Upscale's owner, Kevin Deal is part of the Prima Luna project team. So, it is almost like you have to purchase one to try one out ... fortunately, it has turned out to be my most satisying purchase to date (this said with 35 years in the hobby).

Regards, Rich