Disappointing audition after great review


Ok, so I read the hi fi mags, in print and on line. I recently read a glowing review of speakers retailing in excess of $10,000. Then I found a dealer with the speakers on display. After listening I came away thinking what wa stat reviewer thinking? Also recently I tried a pair of headphones. Read a glowing review which touted its sonic quality and noted although they were heavy, they were comfortable to wear, even for hours. So I tried those headphones. After 5 minutes I could not wait to get them off.

Makes me wonder- are the reviews little more than shill ads? Sometime I think so.

On the other hand, there is one long time reviewer who seems to hear pretty much what I do. What he likes I like.

What's been your experience?
128x128zavato

Showing 1 response by inna

I would differentiate. I would not trust much any speaker review by anyone for the reasons mentioned above, though some reviews might be very accurate.
As for the electronics, well, it depends on who writes and how well you can read between lines. They cannot say everything they think but some find a way of doing it indirectly. I cannot say everything I think professionally either, even indirectly. Let's be understanding.
It is not always possible to audition in your room, sometimes you have to take your best guess. Audiophiles should have a good sense and intuition not to make many mistakes.
In my case, my own bias helps me. As an example, I will never consider VPI, Basis, Linn, Rega etc. turntables, but I will consider Nottingham, Simon Yorke, Origin Live, Customized Technics SP10-MKIII or Walker. No idea of German tables, many must be good perhaps.