What reviews do you trust if any?

+1 to what Judsauce said, Sonicbeauty, you nailed it!!!

Trust is way too strong a word, so I understand the consensus opinion stated herein that opinions stated in reviews are worthless. I would rather think that reviews should be factually accurate and the opinions expressed plausible. As a result I find reviews that provide a full description of the front/rear panels, tech measurements and plenty of detailed pictures to be very useful. To have a seasoned listener who has heard a vast number of components in various situations say that a product sounds very good or better does carry some weight. A well expressed and plausible opinion about the sound quality is interesting.

You can trust the reviewer if:

1.You already own the same gear he/she has.
2.Your room is the same size and configuration as theirs.
3.He/she changes only one component for the review.
4.You like the same music he/she used to audition the piece.
5.Your hearing acuity is the same as theirs.
6.You are listening for the same qualities in equipment such as "PRAT, organic, musicality, clarity, depth, frequency extension, or any descriptor you prefer.

Any variance from these most likely invalidates their opinion. Case in point is the review of amplifiers. It is clear to me that any review of amplifiers is totally dependent upon the speakers used. The amplifier will sound different in your system. Guaranteed.

Reviews are entertaining. Nothing more. If you buy gear based on reviews and don't like it, it's not their fault. Therefore, always buy used. People are trading out and up all the time.

And, the photos in 6moons are fantastic!

Me? I look at it like this, most reviews are for entertainment and there are very very few reviewers I completely trust but there have been a few. Concensus of opinion is a more reliable measure of a component's meddle. I was SHOCKED:) by a few that rely on the advice of specific reviewers to the point of giving names. Oh boy I thought, are you going in the wrong direction. But then again, if you're happy that's all that counts. I have come to the conclusion that often what is valued comes down to the fact that everything is relative to experience and expectations of the listener along with their biases and taste. To ALL newbies, there are no all knowing gurus out there, but there are folks with plenty of experience and good ears. The hard part is learning to separate the two. For this it takes time and experience IMHO. You have to learn to read between the lines, very important.

Hi Fi+ magazine.