I make my decisions based solely on equipment performance listening to familiar recordings played on known equipment.
Some members that I know personally may provide positive impressions on gear that suggest I might want to listen, but that doesn’t mean we always agree on whether performance merits a purchase.
I don't trust the opinion of professional reviewers, especially some of the MOST RESPECTED in the industry. I have seen and heard too much for too many years to believe that they are unbiased.