"The much-maligned Stereophile makes a big point, well know to it's
readers,
about how to useits ratings guidelines only as a tool. And most
Stereophile readers in comments written here and elsewhere show they know
how to "use" reviewers to align with or run counter to their own
perceptions."

One of the most oft repeated cliches in "reviews" and elsewhere is that
even a small change in the system can make a huge difference in sound.
Which means by definition that by this very same criteria any reviewer's
opinion is not useful for others to consider because they don't have the
exact same system in the same context as was that in the review. This is
made even more problematical when it is also oft reported that various
bits
of swapped gear was used during the review period. "Reviewing" is part of
marketing the ethos of the subjective enterprise and the entertainment and
self reinforcement value therein.