Although I don't want to date myself, I have this issue and most of the first several years of Harry's rag.
These were the words (along with J Gordon Holt's Stereophile) that helped many learn about "critical listening".
Many think the mag snobby, and it was, but it did make you listen to your gear, to hear grain, glare, compression, stress, as well as liquidity, smoothness, detail, impact, dynamics and all.