Quote Originally Posted by blackraven
This just shows how every one has different likes and dislikes. What sounds good to one persons ears may not sound as good to another. Thats what makes trusting reviews difficult. I personally like the review panel method of reviewing a product and comparing it with other brands.
I actually really like HiFi Choice's panel review approach, especially the DBT part... the only thing I wish the European mags would do more consistently is to state what 'associated equipment' was used in the testing...

It's great to know that a panel of reviewers like a particular amp over 5 other amps, in a DBT group test... but I really want to know what Speakers and CD player were used in the testing.... since I'm a strong believer in system synergy...

Also, I tend to read both professional reviews (for sound quality) and user reviews (for reliabilty - no point buying a great sounding product that will turn to junk in 3 weeks)... Reviews help me to identify hot products that I really should audition before spending my money on anything else... however, no-one should use reviews as the sole reason for making a purchase.... That will almost inevitably lead to disatisfaction.