What's the point of reviewing?

If you like quality stereo equipment, reviews are a good way to help separate the wheat from the chaff if you’re a consumer, and not an expert. You can look at product reviews online, comments by readers on Audiogon and other forums, and "best of the year" ratings by the major audio magazines etc. and find by consensus what components are among the best out there in your price range. Then you have a reasonable guide to know what’s worth seeking out for a demo. Some of the folks writing above are excellent sources of information.

Unless you live near a major metropolitan area, that’s about as good as it will get for you, short of when you’re able to return equipment that doesn’t quite work in your listening room or with components you might already have. You can often research compatibility too to preclude those type issues. If you’ve got more or better ways to make equipment purchases that would be good info to share here.

Mike

Interesting conversation.

+1 @jjss49 "the generalized question...is how does one sort through what is available to draw salient, accurate, reliable conclusions upon which to act?"

+1 Mahgister's idea that we do need multiple reviewers to help us converge. I disagree that this does not also include "taste" because we need to find a reviewer who communicates to us, aesthetically. So it's about both.

+1 Wolf garcia. Sometimes reviewers are fun to read and can lead to new experiments by us. They re-wire how we conceive of something and that changes what we do. That's useful.

+1 bdp24 Expanding the audio vocabulary not only helps us describe what we hear, we hear differently and better with an expanded vocabulary. There are studies on smell which show this, too. More words increases acuity and sensorial perspicuity.

+1 @nonoise Reviews are a starting point, for sure. Sometimes I read reviews after I purchase, for confirmation or to see if I can now hear what the reviewer was hearing. Sometimes it's a mid-point. I've heard some gear and want to go listen again; but, in the meantime, I check out a review. 

My main problem with reviews is that they are too positive. Critical or negative reviews have a higher burden of proof; they're forced to make a more detailed and stronger argument.

To take one example, Herb Reichert is a great describer of gear and what he hears, but I sometimes find that he's too in love with his own purple prose, prose that sells 40k speakers is win win for him, but it doesn't advance criticism very significantly. Just helps rich people part with their money with a better excuse than "I liked the buttons."

I’ve bought numerous components over the years based generally on Herb Reichert’s reviews (stereophile) and to me, he is dead on with his reviews and a joy to read. I also like the fact that he often reviews equipment the average guy can afford...for example, pioneer plx1000, Hana el, wharfedale 225, linton, rogue sphinx, goldenear brx, border patrol dac, etc etc etc...I own several of the aforementioned, and find that they sound as he described and are good value for your money.

We can easily class reviews in Reviewers i trust, reviewers i dont know, and reviewers i distrust etc...

Speaking to do a statistical analysis of each acoustic factors with the specific words picked to describe them in reviews DONT PRECLUDE what is evident to do, classify the reviewers, once we did had identified our precise needs...

«One of my hand think the other walk» --Groucho Marx 🤓

+1 Mahgister’s idea that we do need multiple reviewers to help us converge. I disagree that this does not also include "taste" because we need to find a reviewer who communicates to us, aesthetically. So it’s about both.

My main problem with reviews is that they are too positive. Critical or negative reviews have a higher burden of proof; they’re forced to make a more detailed and stronger argument.

This is precisely WHY we are better to NEVER choose only reviewers with our esthetical and taste ONLY but especially MANY unknown people, average audiophiles who will pick other words to describe what a PAID pro reviewer will avoid and mitigate: the negative impact of his words choice...Infirmation rule ,confirmation goes after...

Chosing audio component has nothing to do with "taste" , we dont even know really the needs, the room, the ears, the components of the reviewer we like because we identify ourself with one aspect of his written ghost personnality ... Chosing audio components is about "acoustic factors" evaluation and impact not about "taste"...

What is not said in a review matter the most, and what is negative is the most important and must be investigate in a comparison with the words choice of others reviewers to infirm or confirm ...

What is positive means something ONLY by the added numbers of reviewers ...

«My two hands works better together without me»--Groucho Marx 🤓

«My hands need my brain more than me sometimes»--Groucho Marx 🤓

@roxy54 a run on sentence. 😂 I tend to do that after an edible. Was a hard day kayaking.  I am going to start calling you Mrs, Carvello, she what my 8th grade English teacher and she was hot.