Many reviewers will lead you down the wrong path.

Reviewers are unfortunately all biased. Some depend on advertizing revenues for the audio magazine they are affiliated with or freelancing for. Or they already own the equipment and are predisposed to like what they have shelled out $$$ for (proud owner). Or just the very act of going to the extensive trouble of making a bunch of listening tests and writing up a review will tend to make the reviewer biased towards giving praise (what people prefer to hear) versus being highly critical (what nobody wants to hear, especially the manufacturer or owners of that equipment).

IMHO, the best reviews are simply technical and give the functionality/features of the product rather than glowing recommendations about the sound quality. I cringe at the typical hyperbole with claims ranging from the "earth moved", "the veil was lifted" or "my expectations were shattered".

The best endorsement for the quality of an audio product, in my view, is a user list (without comments). This is especially useful if you know that the users have expertise (musicians/artists/recording engineers) and if they have the resources to freely choose whatever they like best (i.e. they are not endorsing the product because they have connections to the manufacturer and they have lots of money).

"When I was fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have him around. When I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years."

Mark Twain

Julian Hirsh rules. Then and now. Every speaker grooves, every component rocks.

Nothing a reviewer says about a particular product has any meaning because his frame of reference is undefined. Even when they compare products the comparison used is often unknown, unavailable or unusual in some way (deliberately I think).
I know its politically incorrect, but I have always found that specifications tell 80% of the story, and all that is required is a good listen to a selection of contenders to discern the subtle differences (and the specification liars).

To me 1.0% distortion in a power amplifier is unlistenable, while 0.01% is usually pretty good. (You need to watch the qualifications too.) No matter how much people talk about some kinds of distortion being less audible than others I have not found this to be the case. In fact I am completely allergic to anything labelled as warm, tubey, valve like, golden, dark (if dark means lacking in high frequencies) and so on.

Julian Hirsh actually loved music....most of today's reviewers just love new equipment.