As the North American distributor of Metronome, I want to weigh in with a few thoughts on this very interesting topic.
Before distributing, I was a consumer just like anyone else and to a certain degree I still am by selecting and investing in products I want to listen to.
As someone noted, all reviewers are biased to some degree with their sonic preference. But by reading closely, one can ascertain if the reviewer prefers 1)the clinical, analytical sound, 2)the soft, warm, colored sound or 3)somewhere in the middle of a pure, analog-like uncolored sound.
Certainly, if the reviewer is laying out his own money, he certainly believes in the product and it fits his listening bias/preference.
I tend to believe that by focusing on reviewers that share a similar bias to us, we all get a better perspective of how a component sounds and if it "fits" our own listening bias and preference.
Just as the 6moons reviewers of the Met Kalista noted how the transport sounded similar to vinyl, one can assume their listening preference is somewhere in the middle as noted above. Keep in mind, we all have different tastes and biases and not one type of sound is "right" for everyone.
That's enough rambling this morning...back to work!
Before distributing, I was a consumer just like anyone else and to a certain degree I still am by selecting and investing in products I want to listen to.
As someone noted, all reviewers are biased to some degree with their sonic preference. But by reading closely, one can ascertain if the reviewer prefers 1)the clinical, analytical sound, 2)the soft, warm, colored sound or 3)somewhere in the middle of a pure, analog-like uncolored sound.
Certainly, if the reviewer is laying out his own money, he certainly believes in the product and it fits his listening bias/preference.
I tend to believe that by focusing on reviewers that share a similar bias to us, we all get a better perspective of how a component sounds and if it "fits" our own listening bias and preference.
Just as the 6moons reviewers of the Met Kalista noted how the transport sounded similar to vinyl, one can assume their listening preference is somewhere in the middle as noted above. Keep in mind, we all have different tastes and biases and not one type of sound is "right" for everyone.
That's enough rambling this morning...back to work!