Hi Kingrex - I have been a forumer for over 2 decades and a reviewer since 2008. I have attended shows and I am an amiable chatty guy. I have heard a number of stories from other reviewers, dealers and manufacturers over the years about other reviewers. One is that a reviewer who loved a brand always raved - but when it came time to get his "reviewer discount" he was unhappy with the number. He went to another brand who "played ball" and now raves about them. He currently works for a big US print audio magazine if you ask me who I won't say because as much as I trust the source it's still hearsay.
The thing I often see on forums is anecdotal stories. This is fine - I bought a Toyota Corolla and it was one of the least reliable cars I ever owned. Odd since they were ranked like the top 3 for reliability. Oh, but did I mention it was 10 years old and I didn't get an independent mechanic to look at it first? See this second sentence makes a big difference.
I have been on several forums where a dealer likes to crap on a brand they don't sell. That's nothing new - one of my very first times in a boutique audio store they asked me what I owned and said - oh that's all junk - have a listen to our X and our Y speakers. I played the CD that sounded quite fine on my system and sounded absolutely AWFUL on these two speakers (which were in dedicated rooms professionally set up no less). Then the dealer back peddling starts - "Well that disc is a terrible recording" so he proceeded to put on the frou frou audiophile boring ass music extolling their virtues.
Good dealers (few and far between) know that the customer bought his system and "liked it" so while it is the furthest thing from his own personal taste he does not try and hard sell his taste to the customer.
A good dealer - like Terry Crabbe(RIp) of Soundhounds in Victoria BC, Canada, carried "everything" as he often brought in brands he didn't carry just to let him and his customers hear what the fuss was about. He carried several popular lines not because he liked them but because they sold well and kept his store in business.
When they brought in Magnepan - his top sales guy walked by me and said "yes these are the worst sounding speakers we have sold in 40 years" - "Why do you sell them I asked" - "People want them." They sell well and they have huge margins for the dealer.
Is it honest to sell a brand you don't care for? Sure because as Terry noted 90% of the customers who come in feel that audio dealers are no different than used car dealers - they are presold based on reviews, forums, looks or price. 30-minute audition (maybe) and it sounds somewhat like the band - here's my credit card. If you don't sell it - the guy down the road will.
The point is - when you carry practically everything - you don't have to hard sell people on any of it. Let them listen and decide - if they like Magnepan - great - they sold the person what THEY LIKED. If the person likes Harbeth or DeVore or KEF etc - great - they bought what THEY LIKED.
The minority of customers tended to audition more and would explore the "pet brands" that Terry, his sales staff, and the repair techs all liked and bought for themselves and used in their own homes. I remember setting up my audition with them - please set up B&W, Reference 3A and Paradigm - and I was smart enough to say - "And a model you guys like." That was the speaker that easily won on all music on every parameter. And it was the second least expensive of the four to my considerable surprise.
But they would have been happy if I chose any of the others.
6Moons is an online magazine that takes payment for doing reviews. I don't have a big problem with that because they state that upfront and explain why they need to do it. Print magazines live on advertising. Without it, there is no magazine.
There is no "honesty test" - a Youtuber can be completely honest who charges to do a review and a paid print magazine reviewer can be completely dishonest without a financial gain - no different than teachers, cops, and even maybe some lawyers
Lastly, the anecdotal stories that "a customer traded in his x for y" so y is obviously better also doesn't hold water no matter who says it. A guy traded in his Sugden for a Musical Fidelity - I auditioned the unit he traded in and liked it far FAR more than the amp he bought - I left with the Sugden. He's not wrong - there are things the MF clearly did better but I personally didn't value those things - he obviously did. Moreover, I auditioned the two amps in a different room with different speakers - it is ENTIRELY possible that I would like the MF better on other speakers.
I live in HK an audiophile mecca where 40% of all the world's luxury goods are sold - 40% in one city. I see a TON of Accuphase, Luxman, Audio Note UK, Shindo, Constellation, Aries Cerat, ARC. NAT, Kronzolla, Cary Audio, Harbeth, Electrocompaniet, Magnepan, Magico, Wilson Audio, B&W, Burmester, Kondo, Vivid Audio Giya, Boulder, Esoteric etc etc - littering the used consignment market. There are stores here dedicated entirely to selling used consignment goods - the store takes 10% of what you want to sell - so you go in and give them your X amplifier and put a price on it - they take 10% - not too bad eh? The point is that the customers of each of those brands "moved on" to something they "liked better." So whenever a dealer says "I had a customer who traded in his X for my Y" well The dealer of X probably took in your Y for his X.
Point is I have
