What's the point of reviewing?

@recklesskelly 

"To sell advertising in their rags pulp and electronic."

What kind of a sentence is that?

how does one sort through what is available to draw salient, accurate, reliable conclusions upon which to act?

Good question. As one audiophile’s wife said in exasperation "They all sound good, just pick one". And that is the saving grace of hi-end audio.

We are talking about the LEVEL of sound reproduction here, not each variance. I have 2 different systems. The QUALITY of sound is equivalent. The TYPE of sound is not. I could be happy with either one. Depending on the day or the song, one shines over the other. That kind of nit picking can put you into an asylum. . . . for sure.

Whether 35 people or 3,500 like something it doesn’t mean I will. We’re talking PREFERENCES here, not quality like it will blow up and burn down your house. I suspect I have missed the stereo of my dreams because of dismissing something from a bad review and can never hear it for myself.

Have you ever seen an unsalable house? An unfillable occupation? So I don’t go with that numbers method. Someone out there will buy anything, like anything, do anything. Although if it brings peace to anyone, God bless them, go for it.

Reviewers are very consistent about NOS DACS and I agree. If I read reviews I wouldn’t own one because it doesn’t align with what my MIND wants. Reviews appeal to your mind and your imagination. What you think you want to hear, not the realty of what you actually hear. After extended listening I kept my NOS DAC and it hasn’t been easy for my ears to override my mind. That is, what I hear (ears) winning out over what I think I want to hear (mind). I still know I don’t like it regardless of what it sounds like.

@roxy54

stay on em rox

somebody has to push for a proper quality standard for the discourse around here, i am glad you are helping do this! 😁👍

From some reviewers I learned how to be a better listener. In my early audiophile years that was J. Gordon Holt and Dick Olsher, later Art Dudley. Harry Pearson’s writings expanded the language and vocabulary of hi-fi reviews, a subjective-review vocabulary initially created by JGH in his revolutionary Stereophile reviews of the early-1960’s. You youngin’s missed all the action ;-) .

Moot...man...Statements of the Obvious warning: Good reviewers make good reading regardless of what you might think about what's being reviewed, and can lead you to trying something yourself maybe. Or not. I get most of my reading from book reviews, bought plenty of gear (and sporty cars) that had good reviews, and continue to try not to be a luddite living in a cave.