Who do you trust?

with all details, i trust ones that provide detailed specifications from the beginning to gain my attention of specific equipment. if there only reviews and praises with audiophile vocabulary, i skip and look elsewhere.
6 Moons, stereophile, tas and other journals are completely ignored, because i know that ones who write and publish get paid for that. however, i can use audio magazines to evaulate how good the equipment looks if pictured, but not more and sometimes they may publish parameter info, but ofthen it doesn't go beyond beautiful audiophile phrases.
i trust also catalogues from major pro-audio dealers such as zzounds, sweetwater, musiciansfriend and fullcompas.

I hope that this is not cynical, but I beleve that many reviewers are completely genuine in their reviews. However we are all influenced; I know of no one that is beyond even the most subtle influence.

Unfortunately, I rarely find that reviewers likes and conclusions are consonant with mine, so I read the zines for entertainment not purchasing advice. Which really seems, to me, like a completely legitamate reason to read them.

If you can find a reviewer that hears the way that you do, and recommends products that you are familiar with and that you like, follow that reviewer. It really doesn't matter what their motivation is so long as their recommendations are consistant with the sonic picture that you are trying to paint.

And this is where a good dealer comes in. She can not only give opinions based on your system, but she can also demonstrate components so that you have a better sense if they will work for you.

How many reviewers try a component in the context of of a desk top system, TV system, main room system, and to be fair, as many type of gear possible to get a decent and synergistic pairing so as to fairly review the component?

(This requires keeping a retinue of equipment handy so as to insure proper matching and not the usual excuse that the reviewer can imagine how it would sound.)

How many reviewers go into great depths as to the design, construction and when possible, the actual employees who build it, along with their philosophy and background?

(This requires more than just rewording ad copy that anyone can suss out since most products reviews hit the world around the same time.)

When a product actually doesn't make the grade, how many reviewers are willing to say so?

Oh yeah, 6moons.

By the way, the OPs criteria for a need for details goes contrary to the admonition of not bordering on paranoia or clinical. How one can do one without the other at least overlapping?

Everyone has an axe to grind so it's going to be interesting, to say the least, to read what unfolds.

All the best,
Nonoise

I don't know if it's a question of trust in the sense of honesty, as opposed to trust in a reviewer's musical taste. In other words, if this person likes it, am I likely to like it.

I have absolutely no informed opinion on Michael Fremer's motives or honesty, but I think I can say that he and I do not hear things the same way. OTOH, I think I am more in line with Sam Tellig's sense of hearing, or whatever's left of it. He was the one who recommended the Opera Callas monitors, which I loved, Harbeth and other stuff I consider musical as opposed to hyper-detailed to a fault.

So I don't really think of who's getting paid or whatever, because we'll never be able to verify this. It's about finding an audio critic, a restaurant critic or a movie critic who's tastes are in line with your own. I think.