let’s get serious, and real, here
the publications/reviews business is just that... a business - whether it is old style print (now with online versions), youtube reviewers, or online only pubs like dagogo, 6moons, part time audiophile, etc etc and numerous others, coming and going in time
there is no doubt the famous ones, leveraging illustrious histories, like stereophile and tas, are important info sources, with their ’best of’ compendiums, especially for those who are new to the hobby
we who have been at this for a good while, seen inside the industry, advise newbies to realize that while these businesses do have some ethical standards, they all first and foremost worship at the alter of the dollar, and so the key is to understand how each ’gets their bread buttered’... some are straight ad revenues in exchange for reviews (and thus, inclusion on their recommended lists), others get industry accommodations on discount or free gear (’permanent loans’), invites to shows (pre covid) etc etc etc...
stereophile (not the aegir, you fools) gets the bad rap as it is the most callously commercial in its approach -- advertise to their minimums, get written up, advertise a lot, your reviews gets better and more plentiful, you get ’promoted’ in the ’recommended’ list... let your advertising commitment reduce or lapse, you get your past recommended status canceled (deleted due to ’too long since reviewed’)... like anything else in life with commercial motives - just need to know the game, then what you see happening makes perfect sense - remember, you are the customer, er target, er prey...
this is not to say that the pubs. their reviews and lists are worthless... they are not, they do have some limited value... but what they exclude, what they don’t test, what they choose to test and how bloviated their commentary is... it is for their benefit (and the manufacturers) as much, if not more, than for you the readers’
