J. Gordon Holt was inspired to start Stereophile in the early 1960's ('62?) when, while employed at High Fidelity magazine as Technical Editor, he had a negative review of a product by an advertiser vetoed by the rag's publisher. Can't go bitin' the hand that's feedin' ya!
Gordon was the single lone voice in "subjective" reviewing for over a decade, until The Absolute Sound appeared. After that, every Tom, Dick, & (heh) Harry thought his ears were golden enough to make him qualified to be a hi-fi critic.