"...and I don't take any advertiser money..."

OK, I have to step in here as there are a lot of cynical misconceptions stated. I once sold audio gear, non-commissioned, but always looked to build repeat business. I was the #2 salesperson in the shop (behind the manager) because I knew what I was talking about and could help the customer find a system that fit his/her needs and budget.

For the past 30 years, I've been a reviewer, for whom, I won't say. I can't speak for all reviewers but I work to specific standards. Have I received freebies? Yes - a few, but mostly minor things such as low-to-mid--range phono cartridges. Do I get to keep the review gear forever? No - I work on a roughly two-month schedule and the gear always goes back. Do the manufacturers/distributors pay me for the reviews? No - I'm paid by the publication only. Must they advertise? No - Selection of the gear to review is strictly up to me. Do I take advantage of "accommodation pricing"? Yes - but not all my system gear was acquired that way. There's a fair amount I bought retail or used. Do I play favorites? No - If I get a piece in for review that just doesn't cut it, you never see the review. I won't waste my time or yours with a bad review. I stick to gear worth reviewing. 

Any questions/comment?

I don't deny I use manufacturer info in a description of the unit. But I attempt to verify or refute that within the actual review portion. In the case of speakers and electronics, the review unit is subjected to scientific tests by one or more of our people who is an expert, independent of what I write, so sometimes, there are disagreements. I may dislike a piece that measures beautifully or, conversely, I may like a piece whose measurements are lousy. In the published review, both sides are presented.

My reviews go through a two-step editing process. First, the editors scrutinize my copy and say, for instance, "What did you mean here? and the like. Then, my colleagues look over my reviews and often pose questions that I must answer in a rewrite. Believe me, the copy is run through the wringer.

When it comes to how I acquire review samples, my normal procedure is to contact the manufacturer or distributor directly. Often, if my request gets anywhere within in the organization, it's sent to their PR/Press rep. From smaller organizations, I may get a response from the company president. In a few cases, I've requested a review sample of something and been told the manufacturer doesn't want it reviewed (for whatever reason to which I'm not privy). 

Finally, I tend to steer clear of heavily digital equipment as, frankly, I'm an analog guy in a digital age. I leave those reviews to the colleagues who understand such minutiae. Give me a straightforward amplifier, turntable or speakers anytime.

Hope that answers your questions/comments and thanks!!

I haven't read Stereophile in years - the things they review are far, far beyond my budget and not reading it keeps me from succumbing to "audiophilia nervosa." And, I have no idea what their editing process is, so I can't knowingly comment. Finally, as I said, I stick primarily to analog gear, as the workings of much modern digital equipment is beyond my understanding and I limit my streaming to internet radio stations.

I don't know if you'd get anywhere but you might write either Mr. Serinus or Stereophile's editor to see if you get an answer.

audition_audio: I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "No if you leave the definition open of 'pay to play'." If you mean that by occasionally taking advantage of the "accommodation pricing" available to reviewers, that I'm accepting a bribe, then no. For one thing, that makes no sense. Would I buy at any price, or accept for free, a piece if I didn't think it was better than what I already have? Why would anyone do that? 

If that's not what you mean, I'd really appreciate an explanation.

I can't speak for Stereophile, but you're certainly entitled to your opinion. 

Thanks for your comment.

@audition__audio:  I have NEVER accepted cash or any kind of direct payment from a manufacturer or distributor and neither have my colleagues - we'd be fired unceremoniously by our publisher if we did. I once was asked how much it would cost for a review; I told the person we don't work that way and explained our system. Be cynical all you want but I can review audio gear and still look at myself in the mirror each day without shame.

@tomic_601: I suppose you can say I try to influence purchases, but I look at it as attempting to steer audio aficionados to equipment that is good value, offers great sound and is well built. If I hadn't been a real fan of good audio for as long as I have (let's just say a long time), I wouldn't do what I do. 

As I've said before, I can't speak for any other reviewer. What they do is beyond my knowledge. I only know the criteria to which I adhere, and I've tried to lay those out in these posts. I'm just trying to clear up misinformation and, I hope, some of the incredible cynicism about reviews and reviewers I see on this forum

It depends on where they use the manufacturer's talking points. As I said before, it's my opinion if they're used in a description of the product, I see no problem. If they use them in the actual review section without any justification or substantiation, then I think it's a problem. I don't read either Stereophile or The Absolute Sound for a couple reasons: all the gear they review is out of my ability to buy and I don't like their sometimes, over-the-top language. I just wish they'd stick to facts without the overblown prose and in some cases, what I believe are debatable claims. But that's just my opinion and we all know how valuable opinions are . . . .