The people making the hifi and the folks writing the mags and now those running online ‘forums’ work hand in hand, they are one. You don’t have to be real clever like to see that might cause review ‘ reliability ‘ issues.Maybe it just sounds good to them. Why does everyone have be dishonest to like an item that some might not? Have you personally listened to DACs that exhibited audible noise and distortion?
Also, people seem to be so concerned about cost. The Yaggi is not really expensive as far as high-end goes. Granted people that are comparing it to relativity budget DACs are disturbed by the price, but looking at the high-end market (where it belongs) it sits at the low end, price-wise.
It’s a small sector high end hifi , everyone knows everyone and they all know they must work together in order to promote the industry... a industry in a degree of decline.
So there’s hideous compromise in terms of true independence of the content provided by these entities, both commercial and social bias, are they evil? No and likely they ‘believe ‘ in what they are doing. Though I have personally come across plenty cynical shit that would say otherwise.