"Pay no attention to forums like this."
I assume this comment is tongue in cheek, but just in case it isn't, I have a different take on this.
I believe there is gold mine of information available on this site, if one is capable of parsing through the comments and gleaning what is truly useful.
Comments that are based on educated listening and years of searching for better sound are very valuable as a way of benefiting from the experiences of others, without all the related costs and heartache. I often search the historical database before making a purchase as a way of shortlisting components or getting a sense of what that component offers sonically. One can even get a sense of how components work together by analyzing certain members "virtual systems".