Does anyone on AG truly care anymore about objectivity & sincerity of Magazine reviews?

@moonwatcher Interesting jump from journalists to scientists. Stopped reading there. By the way, the term "climate change" was coined by George Bush the second.

How 'bout it - you believe in Bush-called "climate change" now? 

There probably has NEVER been any "objectivity or sincerity" in ANY print magazine reviews. We were all just a bunch of naive kids in the 1970s and 1980s reading these magazines and Cream and Rolling Stone. Well, we aren’t so freaking naive anymore.

I mean they aren’t exactly going to bite the hand that feeds them. Free or discounted gear, being wined and dined, all-expense paid trips to see new gear, etc. Whether you believe in so-called "climate change" or not, can you trust government employed scientists who depend on getting grant money for their meal tickets to tell the truth or make up conclusions to please the politicians steering funding their way?

Anyway, audio reviews basically are sales and marketing departments these days. Maybe they always were. The only good thing about them is that you get a chance to see the gear and know what the latest thing is that we are supposed to part with our hard-earned money to buy. Every new thing is always touted as being the best thing since sliced bread...every single time. Boring.

No!

You never see a bad review of any equipment, but with good reviewers you can usually read between the lines.

Whether we like it or not there is an ongoing decline in quality audio retailers, so reviews can provide a guide and perhaps help you whittle down to 2 or 3 products, but ultimately you must let your own ears decide.

Being an ex Audio dealer at Audio shows I heard horror stories from truly great smaller companies  with these Big Audio magazines say give up $50k 

you willbe very popular and well respected ,many didnot have this kind of cash 20 years. Back , and gave maybe 1/3 rd. Decent review 

the full page ads or minimal 1/2 page for a year they get  much more coverage on average . Even onl8ne $700 a month for an ad ,that’s a lot for a small company just 

1 online magazine  TAS ,stereophile double that , way too much politics .

 Reviews good for a observation , your ears by far the best reviewer. 
I now helping out a bit with Denafrips ,they made a Big mistake putting out review samples after the New Gen15 products came out now reviews not until 

mid nov ,a very good product and value ,not to well versed in marketing though, since Alvin went on his own venture loaded with reviews , that’s smart marketing.

I’ve been reading and enjoying reviews from various high end audio magazines such as The Absolute Sound, Stereophile and other on-line sources for over 30 years, always under the realization that my own ears will ultimately be the deciding factor when its buying time and not anyone else’s opinion.

People can say or write whatever they want for whatever reason.  Just saying. 

Perhaps they really like that driver in their designs?

john1

... It's not Bose granted but corrupt all the same ...

I don't see anything "corrupt" here at all.

How many times are you going to rehash your issue with the YG midrange driver? Nobody else shared your indignation the last two times so you are going to try a different angle at it. Do you think that YG is going to change their driver because you are here complaining about it? Do you think people want buy their speakers because you don't like them? 

Is this YG review an interesting newish low (or at least right down there)? No new midrange driver (& the original an eternally unchanged, mundane, aluminum one decades old) at this stratospheric, price point when all competitors have radically improved theirs more then once, is galling to me.  It's not Bose granted but corrupt all the same. At least to me & I suspect more then a few others.

I picked the right reviewer like Reichert and Robert Harley, Teajay . With 3 of them you get good ideas. But it’s better to listen as well.

Magazines/webzines are just an arm of the advertising department nowadays.

Reading professional reviews are an important activity in keeping up with the high end and preparing for my next upgrade cycle. As often as I can I then listen to the equipment reviewed and compare what was written about how the component sounds in the review versus the real world. I don’t pay much attention to construction and measurements. In this way I can adjust the weight / handicap I give the descriptions given by the specific authors and or the publication over time. Reading in between the lines can give you great insite into trends and equipment you have not heard.

I don't base my decisions purely on these reviews, but I have nothing against reading articles and reviews of products I might be interested in, and I also research many other sources as well, like videos, forums, other publications, etc. Hopefully I can find a place to audition prospective gear, too.