You tube hifi influencers. Love them or hate them?

I do not watch You Tube videos of equipment reviews done by an influencer.  I don't trust them, and they always have their own agenda.  Just who are they influencing and why would anyone listen to these people?  They are going for likes & money, nothing more.

I far prefer written text, so I can pore over it, scrutinize it, go back and re-read; I find talking head videos abysmal at conveying information, especially when done improvisationally and off the cuff. Lot of wasted time for me. I can quickly scan a written article in minutes or less to see if it is relevant. Videos are cumbersome in that respect. 

I get that the current generation relies on YT for all kinds of things. It may make sense with a repair issue, where, for example, the narrator guides you through steps and the visuals of a disassembly are shown. But for opinion and listening it  is usually a non-starter for me. 

I agree with most of the opinions here. Some of the British reviewers are quite good--I like them better than some of the ones over here. I really despise the reviewers who claim they have found their 'end system' only to review new components a month later. I can't give any credibility to that.

Money for nothing. 

While some reviewers speak the truth, they cannot be 100% trusted because at the end of the day only your own system, room and ears can properly judge a new piece of equipment, regardless of what they say or their experience level.

I may watch occasional reviews. Not to get an opinion of how something sounds, but to learn about the features of a product that I may be interested in.  

I use my own intelligence, experience and ears (period).