Would it make any sense for a reviewer or common Audiophile for that matter to not be biased toward equipment that they own? One needs a point of reference hopefully our Hifi gear reflects the quality of music that we like to hear. I don't buy equipment that I do not favor for its sound reproduction performance, its build quality, and its value. That said, I enjoy reading reviews for the sake of their entertainment value and to sometimes glean some valuable knowledge or a point of view. It also helps to refer to reviewers that have similar reference gear preferences and tastes in music, amongst other things.
I most enjoy reading Stereophile's Art Dudley. He still uses a Linn Sondek LP12 and favors the tube amp sound, with any of its possible short comings. I like his writing style and the fact that as cool as the equipment can be and it can be cool, I believe he shows that he loves the music more. His publication "The Listener" back before writing for someone else was fun to read and most helpful and he's never taken himself too seriously.
I would agree that buying equipment based on a single review without knowing what the reference equipment was or without understanding the reviewers preferences would not be a very good idea at all. This brings up a phenomena on Agon that I find never ceases to amaze me, how a vast amount of threads offer help without quantifying or qualifying a recommendation all someone whos begging an answer needs to do is go out and Buy a $1000.00 X power cable and all will be blissful sound emanating from their rig because it worked on my Y system and hell, its the best because somebody else with a Z system said it was! Im sure most all the folks here on Agon have the best of intensions in mind, and most of us would be happy to show how smart we all are, not to mention that most of us anyway, have golden ears, but it just leaves a mind to reel! :^)
Tvad, you make an excellent point to grab a little caution when taking anyones review too seriously. Happy Listening!
I most enjoy reading Stereophile's Art Dudley. He still uses a Linn Sondek LP12 and favors the tube amp sound, with any of its possible short comings. I like his writing style and the fact that as cool as the equipment can be and it can be cool, I believe he shows that he loves the music more. His publication "The Listener" back before writing for someone else was fun to read and most helpful and he's never taken himself too seriously.
I would agree that buying equipment based on a single review without knowing what the reference equipment was or without understanding the reviewers preferences would not be a very good idea at all. This brings up a phenomena on Agon that I find never ceases to amaze me, how a vast amount of threads offer help without quantifying or qualifying a recommendation all someone whos begging an answer needs to do is go out and Buy a $1000.00 X power cable and all will be blissful sound emanating from their rig because it worked on my Y system and hell, its the best because somebody else with a Z system said it was! Im sure most all the folks here on Agon have the best of intensions in mind, and most of us would be happy to show how smart we all are, not to mention that most of us anyway, have golden ears, but it just leaves a mind to reel! :^)
Tvad, you make an excellent point to grab a little caution when taking anyones review too seriously. Happy Listening!