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What do you expect a reviewers system to be

There has been quite a bit of discussion on reviewers systems, long term loans, favored purchase price etc.
but what do you expect your favorite reviewers system to be if he or she is to be taken seriously about the component under review. does the reviewers system have to be the same as yours. does it have to sound good, or should it be so detailed and etched that its not great fun to listen to, but you can sure tell the difference when a new component is substituted. if not the latter, then how can you tell if the new component just makes the system sound better, but may have aberrations of its own. And, if you demand the review have that detailed system, does he have to pay for it at retail so he can avoid criticism and have to listen to it all the time, or can he have another system he may enjoy more, or for which he got discount pricing.
Myself, I doubt that there are many full time reviewers who are independently wealthy and could afford. I'm ok with a reviewer using whatever system he likes to review a product, so long as he is familiar with that system so he can readily recognize changes, for better or worse. If thats a bose table radio,so be it. but what do you all think?
manitunc
jjrenman
279 posts
 
The only thing I "expect" is that it is a well matched system. If the system has components that are not known to work together well than I do not trust the reviewers ability to subjectively review a product.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I have no expectations for a reviewers system whatsoever, just as I have no expectations for any persons system. Whatever floats your boat.
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kiddman
341 posts
 
I'll expand a bit on your question to talk not only about their systems but also their credentials.

I expect what nobody seems to do:

1. Maintain an inventory of a good solid state amp and a good tube amp of 100 watts or more to give every speaker a good chance (many speakers prefer one over the other), and to let us know how it works with our preferred amp type.

2. Have their own 2 reference speakers so that they catch themselves from falling into love with one particular stylized sound.

3. Check their reference speakers against headphones too, for a third baseline that is also portable and room independent.

4. Listen with their ears and not try to play engineer/designer/physicist (unless they are one) to figure out what it might sound like or why it sounds the way it does - this only gives them prejudice which is almost always unfounded.

5. Not review equipment that is way more expensive than their own product of that type. They need a reference in the same ballpark, and to have experience with others in the same ballpark, as what they are reviewing.

The above would be for starters. There are many other issues of experience, honesty, lack of deep friendships with particular companies, favoritism due to advertisers, familiarity with real music (they all claim it but most don't go to many concerts, many don't go at all), and other things I could list, but we are not going to get even what I list above. Unfortunately, this is a cottage industry at the high end, and the reviewers are just as home brew as most of the designs, with little accountability (actually, none).
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