Macg19, I would appreciate it if you retracted your misinformation. In twenty years of reviewing for Dagogo.com, I have not been paid. I have never been paid to write reviews, and I accepted that when I started for two reasons. I am owned by no one and because I am financially untethered, I do not care about the politics of the industry. I have been blissfully free - and I thank Constantine Soo, Publisher of Dagogo.com for the freedom in writing to express myself - from financial questions surrounding reviewing.
The other reason I chose to work at it unpaid is because I am a gear lover and system builder. I relish the variety of experiences that unique systems bring. I would be bored if not making a new system regularly. My zeal for experiencing different audio systems and the beautiful music they make is akin to the hodophile's desire to explore. I consider it a blessing from God that I was asked to be a reviewer. Despite the many hours of unpaid work, it has been a joy. Having a stream of international gear to try is a rare privilege and am grateful for it.
As I am discussing misinformation, at least with this reviewer, there has been no free equipment for reviews. I have never considered on loan gear to become mine, and I even remind manufacturers that I have their products and ask if they need it returned. So, please banish the notion that all reviewers get free gear. The thought that there is a quid pro quo arrangement for free gear is repugnant.
Now, thecarpathian, a much shorter answer than 1 million words awaits you!
Imbalanced thriftiness = chintzy, miserly, tightwad
I am appealing to these individuals whom others would perhaps associate these terms with them, but would consider themselves to be thrifty. I would not likely be able to have them reconsider that they are holding back performance if I were to use a term that while accurate would unnecessarily cause offense.
