Tough topic to give a good response to. There are so many variables involved, and so much subjectivism that how good something sounds, and how well it works together are major elements. The influence of the room and setup are huge factors. Add the fact that we hear differently, and tastes vary and what’s considered good is rarely universal. An audio system is also a chain, where the weakest link is often what we hear from a system, which can hide the potential of some of the other components. Which leads us to the art of synergy and getting top shelf gear to play well together. The music selection and listening habits all play a factor. There’s just so many unknowns, and most of us only have meaningful exposure to a small fraction of what’s out there. Hearing gear at a CES almost doesn’t count, because the listening time is limited, and the environment is often not conducive to good sound and proper evaluation.
Add to the equation that price and performance don’t necessarily have a direct correlation, and there are definitely diminishing returns per dollar spent at some level. Some companies are more adept at marketing to a niche than they are at actually building better gear, and advancing the technology of audio. When I used to go to CES, immediately at the end of the each day of the shows, the business minded people would go out and entertain dealers, reviewers, and distributors after hours. But there was always a small segment of die hard audio guys who were in it for the pure love of audio, and they stay behind after hours at the show hotel, and would literally play with whatever gear they could get the hands on,often for hours until security kicked them out, then they’d get a late dinner wherever they could find a place that was open. To me, that was an indicator of the level of commitment to better audio....not necessarily with 100% accuracy, but I found it an interesting observation. It'd be fair to say that some of them were poor businessmen, but brilliant audio guys.
As for reviews - Payola is alive and well in audio (as it is with many things). It’s not uncommon for reviewers to get some benefit for recommending certain products, whether through direct payment, acquisition of gear or other perks, side hustles, increased readership, etc. I learned years ago to take reviews lightly, and/or with some skepticism. At best it’s an opinion. At worst it’s a form of advertising and/or business decision.
