Please step back and think about the concept of being a reviewer. The reason for the word "reviewer" rather than "tester" or "researcher" is that subjectivity is involved. Food is a good example of subjective taste (pun intended). If looking for a good restaurant in NYC that matches the occasion, your mood and budget you could rely back in the day on Ruth Reichl or Mimi Sheraton of the NYT or you could read the opinion of some unknown burgeoning reviewer writing for free in some tiny local paper. Ruth or Mimi (and dozens of others). reached their height at the NYT due to BOTH a wealth of experience and having earned the trust of their readers that when they gave a good review, it was very likely worthy. The unknown burgeoning writer is bound to be a hit-and-miss proposition. A discerning reader can detect the shallowness of the review based on the writing; the sophistication of the writing style, linguistics, word-usage, grammar, syntax, references, comparisons, descriptors, etc.
And then overlaid on top of the above came the internet and webzines. The true democratization of the ability to publish one's opinions. Suddenly instead of a handful of relatively unknown pundits there became hundreds like dandelions in an untreated lawn. Anyone and everyone who wished to put down to writing their thoughts and don the hat of "reviewer" could do so. Of the dozens and dozens of English based webzines I know of no other, in MY subjective opinion, has less credibility due to lack of standards than the one for which the OP writes.
And then we come to the subject of the review. Nothing more need be said, I hope.
FW(Little)IW, my current favorite audio publications are both printed and web-only, Stereophile and Part Time Audio. Sure, Stereophile is no longer in its heyday with the likes of Larry Archibald, Tom Gillett (aka Sam Tellig) and Art Dudley among others. But Jim Austin is doing a great job at the helm. I know nothing of reviewers at PTA but I admire their penchant for searching out the meritorious products that others don't review or overlook.
I am not a Tekton hater. I simply refuse to swallow a shovel-full of unconditional perspective-less pablum written by an author that would never pass muster at a publication with strict standards. A publication that is the equivalent of Phoenix University when compared to Harvard.
