It may be strange to read what I'm about to say in the pages of
Stereophile, but it's the cold hard truth so here goes: Audio reviews are inadequate. They don't tell the whole story. They come up short and can even misdirect.
It's not their fault, or at least sometimes it isn't. Even the good ones can't tell you how something will sound to youlet alone make you feel, the ultimate pointin your own room. As helpful as they may be, they can't address the elephant in the listening room: synergy.
In reviewing the Octave Audio V 70 Class A integrated amplifier ($12,000 and up; $15,900 as reviewed), I was reminded of the importance of synergy in our hobby.
