I would never buy a component based solely upon a review but that doesn’t, in my mind, render them useless. When contemplating an upgrade, my approach is to gather as many impressions/opinions as I can about products I might consider. This includes reviews as well as comments posted on this forum and others and in conjunction with specs, helps me narrow the field. Once I have a short list of candidates, I research which can be auditioned at home, which further reduces the number of contenders. While I don’t assert this is the only way to go, it’s worked for me, so far. By contrast, auditioning gear in show-rooms has not. Each to his/her own. Discover what works for you.
