What's the point of reviewing?

Many direct sale manufacturers and online dealers offer free returns. Certainly most Audiogon sellers of used gear do not ... even an audition at a dealer can be helpful if not ideal...and reviews can help if you are familiar with the reviewer 

I take reviews with a grain of salt.   To me, it's great when i buy a product and then it is on a Best Of , Buyer's Guide , or gets strong praise from critics

It is great to read other OWNER's  impressions of their gear.    Some stuff  has universal appeal and others are real niche.... its up to you to decide what's best.   What's best is to demo in home if at all possible 

Reviews provide information and it is up to the reader to determine if anything of value was passed on.  More likely, the comments provide a variety of perspectives and the value here can be more useful than the initial review.  Regarding the value of reviews found in major publications, there has been some controversy as to how advertising affects the reviewer’s perspective.

@voodoolounge 

You're right in that everyone's rooms, systems, and ears/subjective opinions are different and in no way can replace listening for yourself.

However that isn't always possible so we often turn to second and third hand opinions for further information.

Since most reviews are entirely subjective it can be of considerable help if the reviewer can provide information as to how the product compares with its better known peers.

Comparative reviews are also better because that's what we humans are good at.

And that includes reviewers.

Good question and IMHO not much other than entertainment. It’s more like advertising under the guise of "information". They just confuse the issue with insecurities and doubt.

Reviews can be good to:

1) Let you know a product is out there.

2) Basic specs like dimensions, power consumption, and frequency range.

As for sound quality, if you listen to sound with your ears, not your eyes (what you read) or your mind (your imagination), there is not much point to them. Even if we can all agree Benchmark DAC’s are "analytical", what does that mean to YOU and will YOU like it? You have to hear it for yourself.

There are just too many variables. Have you ever gone for a demo at a dealer of hi-fi show and system sounds great. Then you put in your own music and the sound falls apart? Why is that? Can it be fixed by tweaking? I’ve heard systems go from "mid-fi" to "hi-fi" just by changing one component, speaker placement, the room, or the song.

One guy who worked at a stereo store said when they had merchandise they wanted to move, they set it up really good in a conspicuous place in the store.

Sure, some dealers allow home auditions but unless you have a few components to compare to, does not help that much IMHO. Plus is not easy to arrange to get a bunch of components into your house then send back.