Audio Mags/A believer or skeptic?

Over the years, I've lost interest in stereo mags like Absolute Sound and Stereophile. I enjoyed home stereo, car audio and home theater mags during the '70s, '80s and until the mid-'90s, but these days I find stereo mag reviews to be kinda vanilla. I get a lot more out of the Ben & Jerry's discussion on A'Gon by people paying hard earned cash for their gear.

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The magazines are useful for keeping up with new stuff, as long as you remember that half of it is vaporware. I usually scan John Atkinson's measurements, because they (unlike subjective reviews) are something I can't do for myself. And I subscribe to The Sensible Sound, because David Rich is now Technical Editor, and he has probably forgotten more about audio than Robert Harley will ever know.

As for pre-purchase research, it should be obvious that I don't put much stock (well, any, actually) in subjective reviews. I'll use measurements to identify worthy candidates, and then go audition for myself.

The more I listen, the more I marvel at how disparate our auditory perceptions must be. It is very rare to find products with universal acclaim or disdain, so I read everyone's comments with an open mind. As to mags, I've learned over the years which reviewers seem to hear things as I do and share my tastes. Sometimes research in mags, forums, and online publications turn me on to a great product. As often as not though, I'll leave a demo of a highly reviewed item wondering whether I or the reviewer is deaf. It's either that or synergy between components and room is a truly rare thing.

I look at all of the pretty glossy pictures in the 'rags', then I read all of the reviews, then I check all of the internet sites for user comments, and when I've finished all of my research I decide I can't make a decision and go back to my fantasies. :-)