@dover, +1 on Fremer’s contributions to the resurgence of vinyl (and on “advertorials”).
I have liked Fremer since his early TAS days. First of all, and important to me when assessing a reviewer’s relevance, is that when he speaks about the music he does so intelligently. I remember his early TAS review of his capacitor mods to his lowly Hafler preamp and what a revelation this was for him….and me. This was back in the day when hobbyists were just learning about the benefits of mods like capacitor upgrades. I like his passion for the hobby and his quirky and sometimes funny style; a style befitting his background as an aspiring stand up comic…. ok, sure, let’s hear the snarky comments about that one!
Speaking of snarky comments, I would also say that the vitriol directed at Fremer (and audio critics in general) by some “enthusiasts” is often nothing more than sheer envy. On some level we all wish we could afford, or at least have access to all those uber expensive toys. It’s just not fair, right?!