What reviews do you trust if any?

There are magazines and online sites, and forums like Audiogon I like. As people have said before, I use them as starting off points, for items I would look for and pay more attention to at a show.

I have to say, I particularly like HiFi+, stereo mojo and Positive Feedback. 6 moons I just find too verbose, I lose interest half way down the 5th page.

Two recent examples of what I picked up, the first the Audio Research Ref 75 Power Amp, I listened to at a recent show. All the hype seemed amply justified. Secondly, the Gigawatt line of power conditioners, I have'nt had time to look out for yet.

I like 6Moons too. I also have liked (and still do) Tony Cordesman's articles for years in various publications.

you can trust a reviewer if his statements are truthful.

this requires some faith that he is accurately reporting his (aural) observations.

i don't think its fair to consider motivation. if the reviewer
does not misrepresent his perceptions he can be trusted.

the problem is verification of a reviewer's comments. it's almost impossible to verify what a reviewer says. many explanations have been furnished for mistrusting a reviewer. however, i would say some reviewers are not liars.

even if you listen to a component which has been reviewed and agree with what the reviewer says, you have not corroborated the review.

in view of the amorphous nature of reviews, if you trust the character of the reviewer, a review serves as a guide to consider the product reviewed.

i would suggest reading the review carefully and critically evaluating the form and style of the review. if the review reads like ornate prose, it may be a dubious review. if instead, the review sounds like ordinary usage, as if you were talking to the reviewer, you have a chance that the review should be taken seriously.

I take most reviews as product information, entertainment, but absolute ZERO, NIL, NADA, NIET credibility as to their conclusions and listening comments.

It is all so subjective anyways you look at it.

How many PAGES have appeared on Magico products in the Absolute Sound in the last 3 years? Ridiculous. Not too subtle in hiding their obvious bias, and I don’t mean a listening bias, but a commercial one.

And when the reviewer (happens a lot) ends a review with a strong endorsement and with the proverbial ''its THAT good'' statement, I find it so condescending and pompous. As if the reviewer’s ears were god’s gift to the world.

Even worse is the famous ‘’I liked it so much I bought the review sample’’ this is nothing to identify with the common audiophile.

Sure, I would agree that getting a $ 6,000 amplifier would be good enough for me to purchase If I had access to dealer price – when it is not totally free of course.

My all-time favorite reviewer HAS to be good ‘Ol Sam ‘’wine & dine me in Europe’’ Tellig. At least he ADMITS to being received like a king visiting some manufacturer in the Italian countryside.

The guy’s probably half-deaf, but he’s funny and entertaining to boot.

Most other reviewers take themselves SO seriously, working hard to come up with complicated, wanna-be aristocratic and upper-crust words to describe the ‘’air’’ around the ‘’various and enlightening tapestry of emotionally evocative colors to be heard in the all-important midrange’’ What bull. I am exaggerating of course, but not that much I’m afraid.

That’s all reviews are to me. Entertainment, and it’s good enough for what it is.

Sonic, before reading your post, I was thinking of adding to this discussion. But after I read yours; I could not have said it better. Totally right on. Thanks for that.