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Many years ago I sold high end equipment and was floored at some of the equipment which got glowing reviews in the rags at the time.

It became clear that the reviewers WERE "under the influence", that is, would give glowing reviews when it was in their best interests or in the best interests of the magazine publishing the review.

Two considerations here, 1) after the review the manufacturer offers the items being reviewed to the reviewer at a huge discount, so they can flip it and make a few bucks and 2) would the magazine print the honest truth about an item when they are receiving so much in the way of advertising dollars from the manufacturer?

I like the vibe of the Brit mags sometimes where they may review something using less than astronomically priced accessories and aren't quite as full of themselves as Stereophile and AS writers…I miss Sam Tellig as he was often funny (met him once at a party years ago…cool dude) and his "cheapskate" thing was often fun. I also notice large dumb mistakes like recently when a reviewer noted the Band using a "jews harp" on Cripple Creek when it was a clarinet with a wah…lame, but makes me feel slightly superior. It simply is entertainment and clearly keeps the sales and add revenue rolling…that's life in mag publishing.

I have built my current system over the years with the help of reviews from TAS and Stereophile. I think the reviewers are spot on in their praise of the products which I have laterly acquired - Bryston 28B monos(HP/TAS)), VA The Music(JH/TAS)), Ayre K-5xeMP preamp(JA/S'phile) and Esoteric K-01(AT/TAS). 

Of course, coming to the Audiogon forums here for opinions is of tremendous benefit too. Guido's insights on the K-01 and The Music helped me put together a most wonderful system. It's coming to almost 8 years for the Brystons, 7 years for The Music, 3 years for the K-01 and 1 year for the Ayre pre, and I still love them all, even more today than their very first time in my home.

Nowadays, I still wait patiently for the latest issues of TAS and Stereophile, not because I am looking to upgrade but more because they simply make a good read to keep myself updated with current technologies and also yes, they do entertain in the way they describe sounds emanating from the components under review. And we all know how big those egos can go.

J. :)

Correction: The Band used a CLAVINET with a wah. (Swine spell correction!)…a clarinet with a wah would be illegal in most states.

Right you are wolf. In The Last Waltz it was either Garth Hudson (who was the clavinet player) or Robbie Robertson who described the wah-wah'ed clavinet as sounding like a Jews Harp.