All Salvadore did was point out the obvious. My observation is that most audiophiles/music lovers are educated intelligent folks. I can't imagine too many that believe anything he states was a revelation. And just about all would agree with his points. As Slawney so eloquently states above (as usual Slawney, I do enjoy your dialogue and commentary on most matters), Salvadore has his own biases and preferences. The reviewers aren't the problem. They are just the messengers. Why shoot the messenger? They are just agents for the powers that be, the magazines and the BIG manufacturers. The problem is that the magazines do not compare products and attempt to give an unbiased comparison. Products are rated by price/performance not by absolute performance. There are many over achievers out there and the magazines don't point it out. My guess is that half the reviewers wouldn’t recognize it if they heard it anyway. All they need to do well is write and maintain a minimum degree of credibility.
The reason for cheap subscriptions is to boost circulation which increases advertising revenues. We think we are getting a deal when in reality all that is happening is the rags and manufacturers just get closer and cozier. At whose expense? Well hot damn, why would they want to do that? And now here comes Martin Luther Salvadore, the Great Reformationist. And what does he do? He starts shooting the messenger and then goes on to tell us the REAL truth. His intentions may be genuine but in every cult following there is too much absolutism which must be followed. And that is pretty much the way I read him, as Reprince says, a Zealot. If you want honest opinion and truth, you’ll get a better sense of it here on this site than any magazine. We all have a common vested interest. Here there are thousands, the rags only have a handful and remember, most are nothing more than good writers.
JGH “In who’s ears we trust”. Yes indeed Gordon, we certainly did.