Will
I feel you may be selling short the value that can be gained from amateur audio reviews. There are many of your opinion, but I disagree. Of course most owners will rave about a product that they own but what is more important to be gained from reading them is a sense of consistency among the reviews of a product's attributes and shortcomings. Not all reviews will reveal this but certainly if a product has been reviewed enough something of value to the astute reader should emerge. Many are vanity exercises but some will give very useful, revealing information. Of course nothing will substitute for an in home audition. My 2 cents.
Another Will
I feel you may be selling short the value that can be gained from amateur audio reviews. There are many of your opinion, but I disagree. Of course most owners will rave about a product that they own but what is more important to be gained from reading them is a sense of consistency among the reviews of a product's attributes and shortcomings. Not all reviews will reveal this but certainly if a product has been reviewed enough something of value to the astute reader should emerge. Many are vanity exercises but some will give very useful, revealing information. Of course nothing will substitute for an in home audition. My 2 cents.
Another Will