I think it pays to have an open mind about "influencers." In this hobby, the numbers of brands, the flood of new products, the relatively fewer shops that carry any audio gear pretty much require a willingness to explore the web for information. That, of course, does not preclude a certain degree of skepticism. Let’s not pretend that traditional print reviewers were immune to a relationship with sponsors. One paid for a subscription, but a substantial amount of revenue at those outlets came from industry advertising, and that required a relationship of goodwill with those same companies. The business model was never that of Consumer Reports.
I find some reviewers on YouTube to be very helpful, many of whom take a more technical approach and bring an engineering perspective to the review, something very few audio store salesmen possess. I am not talking about the irritating "Hey guys" ADHD personalities who need a course in effective presentation. Taron from A British Audiophile, Erin’s Audio Corner, and even Amir from ASR offer valuable service. With Amir, you just can’t afford to be thin-skinned. I think one would be deliberately benighting one’s inquiry to ignore them.
