What's the point of reviewing?

Audio reviews are like wine reviews. I like to hear what experienced and knowledgeable reviewers have to say about gear (and wine). I’ll never sit in front of some of the high end gear nor drink a bottle of Petrus, but I like to read about it.  I’ve run across new music reading reviews and find how the reviewer describes aspects of the music produced. Helps me when I’m listening to my rig. 
 

Reviews have influenced some of my buying decisions; most notably my move into electrostatic speakers. When I wanted to try some new speakers, I remembered many times that reviewers compared a speaker midrange to Quads; or they’d remind the reviewer of the first time they heard Quads, etc. With nothing more than that, I found some ESL 63s here on AGon for a reasonable price. Never looked back. 
 

Because I think engineering matters, I like reviews that provide measurements and subjective commentary. But the numbers aren’t the whole story. As @mahgister points out, the story is told in how gear fits together into a system and into your acoustic environment. 

After enough time (years in my case), I found a few reviewers who have reviewed gear I've heard or owned, own, or thinking about owning. Their reviews jive very well with my own impressions of said gear. I came to understand what Kal Rubinson means when he says "The purity of the voices was never
corrupted by the need to simultaneously
invest huge acoustical power in reproducing
the orchestra and brass bands." Steve Guttenberg's take on the Cambridge Audio Topaz AM5 paralleled mine. 

 Just two examples, but if I'm in the market for something, I can trust that those reviews, if available, will give me a good idea what I would experience with the item in question. There is so much gear out there now, and so much of it good gear, that I would be lost without some point of reference. 

8th-note, the one thing you’re more likely to get from Audiogon and other sites forum members is honesty about the shortcomings of various products. Site members will often point out shortcomings of a product that many professional reviewers are loathe to bluntly address. You certainly less likely to get the expertise of professional reviewers, but you will be much more likely to be exposed to the other side of the coin on any components performance. That info is helpful to know prior to going to the audio store to listen to product demos.

Mike

Reviews in audio magazines including Audio, Stereophile,  Stereo Review, etc., helped me a lot when I started to put together my system many years ago Also hours of listening with an audiophile friend of mine in his system gave me clues what I need to buy, what fits my budget, and options for future upgrades. I am very thankful to my audiophile friend for guiding me, and high-end stores in Colorado (Listen Up, Soundings, SoundTrack, etc) letting me take components home for audition.

Reading helped me to navigate in the Hi-Fi World where there are many different ways to reach your goals. Without reading reviews, you don't know what is out there regardless of whether you can afford or not. Reviews also sharpened my critical listening capabilities which is the ultimate test where you can decide whether a particular component meets your expectations or not. Finally, a thank you note to fellow hobbyists that I got to know in forums such as this one. They have all contributed helping me to get where I am today.