Audio equipment reviews

They also go out of their way (at other times, other reviewers, etc) to mention that not all good gear can get a review as there is so much of it out there, and only so many reviewers... and only so much capacity to do the work, and only so much finances to support that.

So that sword cuts both ways, big time. Not being reviewed does not mean an item is bad. Being reviewed generally means an item is OK, at the least.

To not get into negative reviews, is the most important part. Very bad for the review and publication business. Santa Claus as a inconstant butcher, not your gift giving friend. We all know which Santa we want to allow in our sphere of life. Bad reviews = death of the reviewing site or rag.

This gives lie to the idea that websites that are half forum or whatnot, and have threads where audio gear is tested and or trashed all the time ..where they somehow make this out as being the heroes who fix the industry, and drag it before the public courts.. psychologically positioned as the great heroes exposing the beast? Yeah, right.

The item to be looked at for reviewing...is screened, beforehand...so as to avoid the problem of having to publish a negative review.

Nothing nefarious about it, just basic common sense, when someone looks at all the data points on one table.

I was on the zoom program last night with Audio reviewers, Herb Richert, Steve Guttenberg, Nan Pierce and two others and one of the big takeaways was the admission that they dislike writing negative reviews about equipment and would not write reviews about inferior equipment or equipment that didn’t fit well in their setups.

And did you ask them if it was OK to list their names and share their feelings on a public website forum?

"....where they somehow make this out as being the heroes who fix the industry, and drag it before the public courts.. psychologically positioned as the great heroes exposing the beast? Yeah, right..."

Over recent decades the idea of "Consumer Reports" type of journalism is a failed model for many products especially hi-fi. Manufacturers want their gear reviewed and out in the public eye but they would not be comfortable with having their gear torn apart or even having a small chance at a poor review. We are all in this hobby together. Manufacturers, reviewers, retailers, and customers/end users. There is no conspiracy only an effort to increase the interest in the hobby and support the manufacturers that are doing it right.      

@russ69 

i agree there is not a conspiracy

it is a capitalist eco system... so one needs to understand who benefits how, how reviews are an adjunct marketing tool, then one can decide how to assess what is put out there for consumption