When a Reviewer "likes" something

"foisted upon us" Lewm, excellent synonym usage. Certainly one to remember, thanks.

Raul, So long as you endow yourself with supernatural perception, you will always be right. But please don't comfort yourself with the notion that the mainstream audio press is the evil empire primarily responsible for the continuing high regard of others for tube equipment.

OK...I just read this entire thread and have concluded the following: "IMHO" is an utterly overused and unnecessary acronym, so please stop using it. The "ah-ha!" factor in recognizing bias among reviwers means you read this stuff too carefully, and I (because I must be wonderful) can appreciate writers who write well even if I don't agreee with them. It is amazing how many self-important audio geeks "toss the babies out with the bathwater" by stomping their feet and declaring NO MORE (fill in magazine name here)...sort of like not liking to watch television because there is "too much crap on it" which only says you're maybe too lazy to sort through it to find the good stuff, or perhaps so hogtied by your opinions you can't move. That's just sad. An example of this is stating that you KNOW tube gear is BAD BAD BAD, ignoring the fact that lots of experienced listeners think (although it's often based on older design ideas) it SOUNDS great, thus obviating its badness and making it your personal issue, IMHO.

Those of you who dislike reviewers, and therfore, I assume reviews, how do you find out about a product that you can't audition locally. There is literally next to nothing in my system that I could go out and listen to at a bricks and mortar establishment within reasonalbe driving distance, more so because most of my stuff is used and somewhat vintage. So, if something piques my interest, I search on line for information about that item. I end up finding various reviews, both professional and on sites such as this. I then find that the item I am interested in has universal praise, and no negative comments. It suits my needs and wants on paper, and the price is right. So I buy it, and low and behold, I like it, just like the reviewers said I would. Now, do I like it because someone said I should, or do I like it because it is a good product that sounds good and the reviewers recognized that fact.

Now, there may be some of you who are able to listen to every single item ever sold, for an extended period of time, in your own system and home, and only substituting that one item during that period, and come up with your own conclusions without the benefit of any external input. Good for you. I doubt the rest of us have the time, money, opportunity or interest to do the same thing. So, we see something in an ad or report, that looks interesting and the design philosophy seems to make sense and comport with what we think is good design. We then use whatever resources we have, including professional reviews, to narrow our focus, and to eliminate those items not worthy of consideration, and then spend our money. I dont expect the reviewer, professional or otherwise, to put in months of listening and testing on every piece of equipment that comes through his/her door. I expect the reviewer to state the obvious, good or bad, and tell me as entertainingly as possible, how the piece of equipment makes him feel.

Look, there is very little junk out there these days from reputable manufacturers. Most of the differences are ones of flavor, not competence, especially at the levels worth discussing on these sites. If you can listen to everything and make up your own mind, good for you. But I need the assistance of others to narrow my focus. I can always sell the item if my experience does not match theirs.