IMO,the "thing" I get from a review is whether I want to persue giving myself some exposure to said product.That's it!Nothing more.
I will make an attempt to hear something,if it falls into my own take on how I want to do things.Sometimes this works out quite well,as I "may" be able to voice my own rig,to better get what I may(only occassionly)like about some product's performance.Occassionaly I am inpressed enough to find a way to buy it.
As to reviews...of course you have to take them with a grain of salt.
As to the Stereophile reviewers' "seriousness"....well like other journals,this is subjective as to how a particular reviewer comes off.
I think Mike Fremer got alot of (undeserving) heat on Audiogon,based on his "opinion" of the Grand Prix Monaco table.A review that got an almost "opposite" write up(as to how the reviewer liked the product)in Hi Fi Plus(from Roy Gregory)....Why?...I don't really care!!That's the subjective appeal of listening to something.Yet,I like M.F.,and thinks he does a job "I would screw up"!!
I "DO" happen to know Bob Reina(of Stereophile)quite well personally,and believe he is very honest,and down to earth in his review process.
I know his musical likes,and his system.He does NOT get new equipment often,but ascribes to the "logical" school of setting up a system to his needs,and making changes very logically/slowly..."one smart dude"!
Actually I think he deserves a special mention for NOT trying to get the hobbyist to go out and buy the very latest gadget that he may think is just swell,and he does not constsatly go on about the greatness of what he has,and how we are missing something,by not having "his" stuff!....
Then you look at guys like J.V. from TAS,who basically hypes almost everything!Without questioning price,or possibility of competing designs for less cash.He seems to have good equip,but he also seems to favor the "mfgr of the month" over the hobbyist,who spends their money.Of course he is doing his job,and quite well actually,but I come from an era when the reviewers of TAS(the old "real TAS")would have definitely had alot more to say about the pricing of the latest darlings,and would not have aided "some greedy" mfgrs in hiking up prices,because the reviewer simply kept mentioning the "fabulosity" of the design ENDLESSLY!!Review after review!!Until something better came along,of course.That annoys the crap out of me.......
Reina....well he is a musician extroadinaire,eclectic,interesting,has musical taste all over the place(I love that)and really understands that this is a hobby!...Btw,he has a really good sounding rig,but alot of his "personal" setup is NOT the newest(yet sounds damn good)!
Sorry for the rant