[Occam]

When is an "accessory" not an accessory?
When its a necessity.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=26371.msg377481#msg377481

We are also insisting that reviewers go through two rounds of comparison: 9V2 versus 9SE  and then 9V2 versus 9V2SE. That will take up two months including shipping time.

Hey, compare to the money that you guys are spending on the "accessories" and tweaks, the V2 upgrade is very cheap 

Interesting juxtaposition of comments..... as well as a curious use of quotes to, I assume, indicate irony.
When I read a review, I allways check the 'other components used' and if not listed, that review is useless to me. The majority of reviews with the context listed generally include a power conditioner. And like those vendors who maintain that the benefits of power conditioning are questionable, I also find it ironic that the cost of that conditioning can approach, if not exceed, that of the component under test. And those aren't typically the lower cost ones from Monster, Belkin, Tripplite, etc... which in my experience are not the equal of those from Audience, Running Springs, BPT, etc. (To a DIYer this isn't overly relevant as the cost of a diy Felix is small, less that $20 for the circuitry, and less than $35 when housed and interfaced with less than bespoke doodads.)

This is not a criticism of any vendor, rather, it is a criticism of the reviewers and their methodology. I would dearly love to see Jason's excellent insistence on evaluating the incremental benefits of his various models extended to power conditioning.

If the various reviewers who use conditioners could review a component with everything plugged into their normal conditioning regimen, and then with the specific component under review plugged directly into the wall, and the other components conditioned, it would provide the reader with more valid evaluation.

Certainly, this would require more effort on the part of reviewers. But I really don't see the relevance of a review of a component when fed by an arbitrary conditioner when the potential purchaser isn't going to be using any power conditioner; it would totally fail to address any conditioning efforts and its efficacy (or lack thereof) internal to the component.

FWIW

[JoshK]

Its a good point. 

[John Casler]

Yes, an excellent point, but it doesn't go far enough.

The same comment can be made for "ANY" component in the reproduction chain, including the room.

In fact, Power Conditioners have limited to large effects, depending on their type and the Power Problems any one individual might have.

My mind has wondered to that very "sum of its parts" (including room and tweaks) idea many times, since I have heard "EXTREME" differences in similar or same components in different systems.

Even further are those who suggest "they" know what a component in its current incarnation "sounds" like, after hearing it years ago, before several changes, or improvements.

Cables, Connectors, Acoustic Treatment, Vibration Devices, Coupling Devics, System Set Up, Listening Position and Field, TUBES, etc, can all make so many changes to the sound that is almost seems futile to pay any attention to what anybody writes, or to a large degree even listening in any system but your own.

(and then only after sufficient break/burn in)

Such is our lot.

[miklorsmith]

Very good points, fellas.  You may imagine I've done a LOT of thinking about The Reviewer's Hat.  I don't have time at the moment to unravel the rat's nest in my head but I'll be thinking about it and will plan to write something up on it.  Occam's original question and the follow-up are both most astute observations.

The most helpful, concise, and contrite advice is to find a reviewer(s) you connect with and assign them more weight than average.