The "how many reviews it got" rule

Wow i didn't know that thats really great.

I’m not sure it works like that for the most part. Big distribution budgets and magazine advertising play a role in visibility. Ever notice how almost every review is a good one?

My take on this is that most equipment is pretty good these days BUT it's the synergy that is more important. Also as my dealer always tells me the room plays more into the sound than one thinks or wants to admit.

I'm not sure the "review business" is the same as it was in the 1980's.  Back then I worked in the high-end audio business and met some reviewers who told me that the way this game works is, the reviewer is shipped an item and if they were favorable in their reviews, were asked not to ship the item back, but to "purchase" it for a tiny fraction of the retail value.  One of the reviewers I met back then said he made a "pretty penny" flipping equipment he'd reviewed.

In many of todays reviews the reviewer talks about keeping (purchasing) the equipment so it's probably exactly the same.