Opinion: Matter Of Trust — High-End Audio

The hi-fi and home cinema industry has not traditionally partaken in paid-for reviews – where manufacturers give money to ‘journalists’ to ‘review’ their products. That’s partly down to the liberal publishing ethos that prevails in the English-speaking world and because hi-fi tends not to be sold on platforms such as Amazon, where this practice is commonplace. Until now, that is. StereoNET makes no secret that we are funded by the industry – including retailers, manufacturers, and importers/distributors. That’s because we are a commercial business with salaried staff and freelance contributors to pay, the latter being our major expense. We’re proud of this, as the particular way it is done gives us the last word. We can review anything we like from anyone, and conversely, any brand can approach us to request a product review.