Are reviewers biased towards equipment they own?

I recently raised a similar question on another discussion board after reading a review of an amplifier, and then noticing the reviewer owned several products by the manufacturer.

It seems possible, and perhaps likely that a reviewer who owns products by manufacturer X is apt to give a favorable review to a new product by manufacturer X. I'm not suggesting this is intentional or collusional, but simply a natural inclination of the reviewer to prefer manufacturer X's products, and therefore to write a positive review.

That's why it's so important to carefully read a reviewer's associated equipment list. It may provide clues to the reviewer's listening preferences. For example, one might not give the same weight to a review of a tube amplifier by a reviewer who owns solid state gear, and vice versa. This isn't to suggest the review is less valid, but merely to suggest the reviewer's preference in amplification might not be in line with the reader's preferences.

When it comes to anybody else's opinion things must be put in perspective. Even something that one person doesn't care for or that didn't work out in a certain system doesn't mean it can't be the same piece that sounds great in your system. Reviews are merely rough guides.

I take every review that I read with a heavy dose of salt. IMO reviews should be read to look at the specs not provided by the manufacturer, if any are provided. I don't and never would buy something off someone else's opinion. My ears make the decision for me. What someone else thinks about the equipment I own is irrelevant to me. Why people get upset at other people bashing the equipment they own, I’ll never know.

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 A’gon that I find never ceases to amaze me, how a vast amount of threads offer “help” without quantifying or qualifying a recommendation… all someone who’s 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, it’s the best because somebody else with a “Z” system said it was! I’m sure most all the folks here on A’gon 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 anyone’s review too seriously. Happy Listening!