The importance of reviews to your purchases

Started by Brian, August 06, 2010, 07:45:50 PM

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How important are reviews to your purchasing process? For the purpose of this question, recommendations and advice of friends and fellow GMG members count as "reviews."

Most of the time, I buy a CD/DVD/box without looking at reviews
6 (18.2%)
Most of the time, I buy a CD/DVD/box after reading one or two reviews
3 (9.1%)
Most of the time, I buy a CD/DVD/box after reading numerous reviews, as many as possible (possibly including comparisons)
4 (12.1%)
Mix of multiple approaches. Sometimes reviews are very important, sometimes not.
13 (39.4%)
Broadly speaking, I just don't read reviews
3 (9.1%)
Other (discuss)
4 (12.1%)
I don't really want to express an opinion, but I do want to vote for something just to show I can
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 25

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Bogey

#20
August 07, 2010, 04:50:20 AM Last Edit: August 07, 2010, 04:53:57 AM by Bogey
When it comes to cds, I base almost all my purchases from opinions of board members here and have yet to be disappointed with a purchase.  Vinyl is a bit trickier.  On that the factors fly from rumors to just taking a blind chance.
There will never be another era like the Golden Age of Hollywood.  We didn't know how to blow up buildings then so we had no choice but to tell great stories with great characters.-Ben Mankiewicz

Bulldog

#21
August 07, 2010, 08:49:06 AM
Quote from: Grazioso on August 07, 2010, 04:45:25 AM
Whether for books, movies, or music, I look to reviews primarily for entertainment and (ideally) edification, and usually read them after I experience the work in question. I like to see what other critical observers feel about it.

I also find reviews more rewarding if I've already heard the recording.

Holden

#22
August 07, 2010, 01:32:38 PM
Quote from: Octo_Russ on August 07, 2010, 02:22:06 AM
When i was newly into Classical music, i would buy Gramophone magazine every month, also i bought the Penguin Guides as well, they were my bible, but then slowly i started to develop my own taste, and trust my own intuition, i bought discs that were raved about by everyone, but when i got them i didn't think much of them, also i bought discs i thought were absolutely fantastic, but when i read reviews about it, everyone thought it was lacklustre, now i don't buy magazines or books.

Now i have a tendency to take risks, if it looks good go for it, that's how i got into Classical music in the first place, as well as Jazz, Country, Blues, Folk, Electronic etc, now i can buy something quite cheap on Ebay, and if i don't like it i can sell it back on Ebay, risking minimal amounts of money, quite a number of times i actually sold the disc for more than i bought it for  :D

Also it must be noted that for most discs i'm considering, there just isn't a review, so you have to develop your own intuition, for Rock music, i try to listen to tracks on YouTube first.

This resonates with me as I went down the same path. If it's a work I'm unfamiliar with I'll ask the best reviewing panel I know - the contributors to this and another forum.
Cheers

Holden

abidoful

#23
August 08, 2010, 02:01:51 AM
Usually I just know I WANT THIS-- so reviews are not involved in any way.
But sometimes reviews work as sort of an advertisement, somebody brings to my knowledge an amazing recording of which wasn't aware.

And yet, I may take a actual note of things like sound quality and other such things, and they are an important factor when considering purchasing something. I may just leave it, and many times I have.
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