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Re: A reviewer`s opinion is no more valid than your`s or mine - they`re guides, not gospel.[nt]

64.229.180.44

Well, yes and no on your analysis also Bruce.

Clearly, the BAT matter you describe demonstrates that a reviewer reading another review can be influenced by another reviewer. That may or may not be good, if he is listening for 'dark', or otherwise not evaluating afresh, the review is tainted.

Sure, the conspiracy theories are little more than that. But high end audio is a pretty exclusive club, and a small one. These guys know each other, have friends and not so friends, products they might want to push a bit, and other natural influences. And then there are the errors of omission, which are more grievous. Not reviewing products that should be reviewed.

And the greatest danger, of course, is believing that the review is any indicator at all of how the component will sound in your system. All too often the context is misleading. Reviewing an affordable amp with a Burmeister CD player and Wilson Watts is very misleading as to the performance that can be obtained with more relevant associated components.

The other great flaw is that of conflicting goals. For example, HP professes to seek some absolute. This, from what I can take, is searching for absolute neutrality. I hate neutrality. I don't want anything neutral, I want a point of view and personality. If I take HP's advice, I would be sorely dissatisfied. Stereophile also seems to do this, and perhaps there is a growing gap between the reviewers and the buying public. I see that reviewers are going in one direction, while buyers are very much heading in a different one.

Several years ago, Sonic Frontiers were the darlings of Stereophile. Every product was quickly reviewed and shot to the top of the recommended list. Sonic Frontiers were the biggest advertiser. Then they went bankrupt and the ads stopped. The next Stereophile review of a SF product was a combination of total pan and lukewarm praise while toasting the product between the lines. Coincidence?

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