Let's turn the tables on that one: what exactly is a magazine reviewer and what knowledge or credibility do they bring to the task? It seems to me that most of them simply wake up one day thinking they had magically been transformed into some kind of 'expert' overnight and come to the conclusion they should make a living out of this wonderful god-given new talent.

The vast majority of audio reviewers I am aware of have no musical ability, no electronic design ability or knowledge, probably just a few years of fiddling about with home audio. At best they may have a little retail knowledge. In reality they are very much like the majority of people one finds on audio forums. The key difference, and it is a huge one, is that anyone who sets themselves up on a audio forum up as a self confessed 'expert' with so little of substance to back it up will be quickly and publicly laughed out of the room. Unfortunately many magazine reviewers never get to hear just how hard people laugh at the drivel they write.

Tony.