Hi Ozfly; I now like TAS the best. That said, I've auditioned and purchased many components or speakers that are/were Stereophile recommended, and they were all good recommendations with one exception-- which I won't mention.
But when you start dealing with expensive components, say $4K or more, each has its own personality and must be judged in a system and personal preference context. I think Stereophile's reputation has slipped significantly in the last 2-3 years, eg it's no longer in the hands of audiophiles, and now their recommendations carry less weight with me. Listener Mag. is coming on especially in the area of lower priced but very good components. All IMO. Craig
But when you start dealing with expensive components, say $4K or more, each has its own personality and must be judged in a system and personal preference context. I think Stereophile's reputation has slipped significantly in the last 2-3 years, eg it's no longer in the hands of audiophiles, and now their recommendations carry less weight with me. Listener Mag. is coming on especially in the area of lower priced but very good components. All IMO. Craig