Mainstream reviews-why so few?

Some sell by word of mouth and less through reviews.

Do Green Mountain buy lots of advertising space in the audio magazines? If not then they are less likely to be reviewed.

Ford trucks get big advertising in North America, but demanding customers tend to choose Land Cruisers in remote locations. It is a niche market but I suspect audiophiles may be similar picky customers...that go by word of mouth and experience rather than what they read/see in the media.

And, sadly, wherever it's reviewed, the odds are that it will be a rave and it is nearly dead-certain that it will be at least positive--regardless of product. So, maybe everything sounds really good and is of good value...in which case put on a blindfold and pick something!! If people who drove trucks in remote areas (or anyplace else) were like audiophiles, they'd be walking most of the time.

I think buzz creates the demand for reviews, and buzz is created from advertising and shows, and big companies have lot's of money for advertising and shows so that is likely the reason. I rarely believe in conspiracy theories, except Roswell of course but we all see the improvement in sound equipment once the alien technology was examined and shared with the electronics industry.....

I own the GMA Europas, and I think they're great, but I would certainly like to see the measurements on them (frequency response, step response, phase response, waterfall). I wish GMA was a little forthcoming with measurements. I like their products, but their new website is a bit too slick and technobabble for me.

One thing that I think does speak positively for GMA's products is that you don't often see them for sale in the used section here on Audiogon.

I think manufacturers have to agree to certain things like long term (almost open ended) loans to reviewers, no preview of review, keeping some distance after item has been set up and verified to be working properly, etc. I knew a speaker manufacturer about 15+ years ago who refused to do these things (he really wanted to stay in touch with the magazine on a regular basis and know what the reviewer was thinking all along). He got only one review, which was positive, but ended up pissing off the mags with what they claimed was his "butting in" too much.