In 30 years or more, I’ve found but a couple reviewers published whose ears and tastes I share closely, though not at all precisely.
Equipment accounts merely create interest, or point to certain components which possess value, and some of which have immense value
these accounts say nothing of how well they will synergize with your outfit.
I'm not into Hero worship much at all. so paying anyone here or elsewhere for their thoughts on any item or on items someone else just entertained seems silly.
this is of course unless all of the predetermined 'reviewers' heard the exact same setup in one particular setting, and THEN exchanged in or out the item to be appraised simultaneously .
otherwise the variables are too immense for any true consensus of opinion on anything except in very general terms.
One last note on gear articles is this, a fair consensus can be achieved when multiple writers account well of a thing in its overall reproduction of music, though the variables of ears, rooms, and ancillary gear prevents anything from being an all world beating bit of kit without question.
Though in this last scenario it sure will make one’s interest and intrigue with a thing grow.
Yet in spite of identical gear being written on by a handful of folks, there is an alternative path for finding solid bits of audio excellence. One can regularly glean from the classified listings, what seems popular, what seems to be reliable well performing pieces simply by counting how many are listed for sale or wanted. Though often these pieces are not in the ultra high end, money wise.
Its always this hobby’s sole outstanding caveat: its your money, use your ears and then your wife’s best judgement, or follow your heart and do the Audiogon shuffle… buy, try, keep or flip. Then wash rinse and repeat until satisfied, or worn out financially or emotionally.
For me the ‘fun’ is NOT the journey, it’s the destination. The journey is merely the fundamental effort prerequisite to finding synergy and harmonic integrity.
Curiously enough, we all have or have had, destination gear… unless we feel the grass is greener if we just … and then the Road Goes On Forever, and the party never ends!
