With all the reviews and reviewers out there saying positive things about the latest 'gee whiz' audio item, do you find any of them to be reliable?
No.
How many grains of salt do you need to take with the reviews?
A ton of grains of salt.
+1 to what Abucktwoeighty said. Between this forum and Audio Asylum, I get all the information I need to take a risk and try something out. Though I have been disappointed, I still have a much better batting average with these forums than with professional reviews. After a while, you do learn what members have similar tastes to your own.