Absolute Sound - do we really need another review like this?

Audio Critic

Valid points about TAS and Stereophile. I too remember when 'phile was a small book in the 80s, from Santa Fe if I remember correctly.
I also subscribe to both and agree that the reviews of uber-priced gear gets tiring. I much prefer reviews of gear I could afford, and for that reason I enjoy Stereophile more than TAS, IMO they are definitely two different magazines dealing with the same hobby. 
I also enjoy cars, and have subscribed to multiple magazines. At least the writers for them readily admit they can't afford the vehicles they test. It seems the writers for our audio mags tend to give the reader the impression they can afford, or at least are OK with the prices of so much of the audio gear they review...

This is why Stereophile is only $7.99 a year. Cheaper than toilet paper but doesn't get the job done!

Stereophile has Art Dudley. I used to love Listener Magazine that Art and founded in the 1990's and published into the 2000's. I loved it precisely because it was so quirky, weird, fun and they rated equipment not just with one-five stars, but something could also earn a pancreas. Yep, a little line drawing of a pancreas! For 'wonderful but decidedly non-hifi that your pancreas aches for.' (not and exact quote, but it gets the gist).
I loved reading letters to the editor: "Dear sirs, please cancel my subscription. I prefer serious magazines. There is no place is audio for magazines with a sense of humor."  More than one enraged reader sent a letter like that.
Anyway, Art is now at Stereophile. He's still engraging a few mugworts every now and then, and still entertaining me. Also, he's reviewing 50 year old speakers. Talk about how many times do you need to reveiw something, and those aren't even made any more!
The rest of the audio press, not so much. Online there is 6moons and Positive-Feedback. I dip in every now and then.
 

I am new to quality audio and did subscribe to Stereophile, though not because I preferred it to other sources. Simply because I had to start somewhere. Quickly however, I found Hans Beekhuyzen and I started learning basics by watching his reviews, rather than reading Stereophile. I also found Audiogon, and other online sources for researching auction gear I could afford. Still bumping along, I guess, but I do wonder where I can find good, unbiased (paid for) information on affordable solutions to great sounding music.