Reviews - Your Pet Peaves

It makes sense for them to use speakers they are familiar with (esoteric or not), that way they can compare the sound of different amps, it works the other way also, they would use a setup they know the sound of, to compare to other amps/DACs etc. 

The good news for you is, there are plenty of folks on this and other sites that can tell you their real-world experience with setups that might match what you are looking for. It helped me to match a new amp to my speakers.

If a reviewer’s system is of high quality and relatively transparent then they’re likely in a good position to reveal the general sound characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of that amp that will likely translate to your system as well.  

@thekellers1 

Good answer.

Good luck in your quest.

I read reviews before and after purchase. Before to prepare and compare, and after to determine if I agree… listen for characteristics I may not have noticed. I will also reread a year later… when I really know my component. 

There are at least twol reasons to read reviews of equipment you've already bought.

First, if you are like most on this forum, audio is one of your hobbies.  You enjoy reading on the subject, whether it involves stuff you already own, items you're thinking about buying, or esoteric gear that you'll never have a chance to own.  All of it is just interesting to you.  The same is true of car nuts, knitters, sports enthusiasts and any other hobby out there.

The second reason for reading a review for something you already own is to see if the reviewer's opinion lines up with yours.  It can be very useful to know if a particular writer's viewpoint matches yours or if you think they are full of it.  That can be very helpful when they review something you don't own, but are considering.  If they are in your camp, or out of it, that'll give you a good indication of how seriously you should take their comments.