what are your views regarding reviewing styles ?


at the risk of being simplistic, i would say there are two broad categories of reviewing--criticism and reporting and the connotations of subjectivity and objectivity.

a reviewer can present an opinion of a component,providing evidence from listening, as to its quality relative to other compoents of the same class and then express a preference for that component relative to other components of the same class, often using ornate phrases.

alternatively a reviewer can describe his perceptions without using adjectives, not indicating a preference in an attempt to be factual. the idea is not to influence the reader by using words which may have a positive or negative valence associated with them.

much of today's reviewing is what i would call advocacy reviewing. there are very few instances where reviewers try to strictly inform without influencing.

what do you think ?
mrtennis
you are spot on. the mags want to stay in business (and they should want to) and have to find a silver lining in even the most 'ordinary' and the 'most overpriced'. what next, the 5,000 MOST RECOMMENDED COMPONENTS?
Try to imagine a magazine that offers only negative reviews of equipment the reviewers deem unattractive, bad sounding and of poor value.

There would be no advertising. It would have to survive on subscriptions alone. It would hurt the industry even though it might help some of us avoid making "mistakes." In short order, the reviewers would be subject to the same criticism that overly "positive" reviewers endure. Many would call them on their perceived lack of objectivity. Measurements would only show or emphasize the worst results and performance weaknesses.

I don't want to hijack this thread, but sometimes taking the anti-advocate position can shed valuble light on that which is nominal.
"much of today's reviewing is what i would call advocacy reviewing. there are very few instances where reviewers try to strictly inform without influencing.

what do you think ?"
-Mrtennis
Guilty as charged, at least with respect to my review of the Intuitive Design Summit loudspeakers. I specifically and shamelessly set out to get people to at least AUDITION these if they were in the market for speakers. My only ulterior motive was exuberant bliss (buyer's ANTI-remorse) and fond, awestruck gratitude to Dale Pitcher. No regrets. Never had 'em, never will.