What's the point of reviewing?

Good question and IMHO not much other than entertainment. It’s more like advertising under the guise of "information". They just confuse the issue with insecurities and doubt.

Reviews can be good to:

1) Let you know a product is out there.

2) Basic specs like dimensions, power consumption, and frequency range.

As for sound quality, if you listen to sound with your ears, not your eyes (what you read) or your mind (your imagination), there is not much point to them. Even if we can all agree Benchmark DAC’s are "analytical", what does that mean to YOU and will YOU like it? You have to hear it for yourself.

There are just too many variables. Have you ever gone for a demo at a dealer of hi-fi show and system sounds great. Then you put in your own music and the sound falls apart? Why is that? Can it be fixed by tweaking? I’ve heard systems go from "mid-fi" to "hi-fi" just by changing one component, speaker placement, the room, or the song.

One guy who worked at a stereo store said when they had merchandise they wanted to move, they set it up really good in a conspicuous place in the store.

Sure, some dealers allow home auditions but unless you have a few components to compare to, does not help that much IMHO. Plus is not easy to arrange to get a bunch of components into your house then send back.

how does one sort through what is available to draw salient, accurate, reliable conclusions upon which to act?

Good question. As one audiophile’s wife said in exasperation "They all sound good, just pick one". And that is the saving grace of hi-end audio.

We are talking about the LEVEL of sound reproduction here, not each variance. I have 2 different systems. The QUALITY of sound is equivalent. The TYPE of sound is not. I could be happy with either one. Depending on the day or the song, one shines over the other. That kind of nit picking can put you into an asylum. . . . for sure.

Whether 35 people or 3,500 like something it doesn’t mean I will. We’re talking PREFERENCES here, not quality like it will blow up and burn down your house. I suspect I have missed the stereo of my dreams because of dismissing something from a bad review and can never hear it for myself.

Have you ever seen an unsalable house? An unfillable occupation? So I don’t go with that numbers method. Someone out there will buy anything, like anything, do anything. Although if it brings peace to anyone, God bless them, go for it.

Reviewers are very consistent about NOS DACS and I agree. If I read reviews I wouldn’t own one because it doesn’t align with what my MIND wants. Reviews appeal to your mind and your imagination. What you think you want to hear, not the realty of what you actually hear. After extended listening I kept my NOS DAC and it hasn’t been easy for my ears to override my mind. That is, what I hear (ears) winning out over what I think I want to hear (mind). I still know I don’t like it regardless of what it sounds like.