This is the place where the good reviewers are. The place to be. But it is still work. You need to read and learn and find who you agree with based on similar experience and what the recipe is(sources, tips, files etc.). You can't just show up here or anywhere and trust something. You read, try a few things and you'd discover and know, in the above example, which you would "trust" though it is more than trust because both may be trustworthy but with a different recipe won't get the same result. Then with enough homework done you can even adjust for the one's you don't quite agree with cause you learned how/why it is a bit different from your opinion and others. Takes time and reading and asking certain questions to get the best and whole picture. Then the why "this one said this" and "that one said" will be understood.
Edit: Figured I'd expound by example. Take some of the good reviewers on the board. Joker, ClieOS, B9, Shigz, Brooko, Peter123, etc. and all are trustworthy. Trust is not agreement as stated by others due to all the variables from ear canals to tips to gear. My agreement percentage with them ranges from 80's - high 90's. Joker and I, for example, have exchanged over 100 loaners so I know him well and of course hearing the exact same earphones will do that. I don't subscribe to his getting the best seal with every earphone and some I let off of so they seem to breath better and know that I'll get a bit less of a bass slant and perhaps a little more balance. The 5% I don't agree I understand, account for, and can predict. Then the same goes for others. ClieOS is a lower 80's percent but I learned what to adjust from Tai's reviews even never having traded with him. Shigz is like 99% almost and it is regardless of gear or music style or ear anatomy. Odd but also depends on what they cover so maybe a bit more general big ideas than less minute stuff which may vary more. Not that I review much now but I did that and got a lot of "i agree 100% with what your hearing" thing since I kept it more general idea and averaged from 6 sources and kept to stock tips with addendum for my favorite. The taller soundstage thing is not necessarily that big a difference and can be source or ear tip(longer and narrower opening can give less tall but deeper stage perception) esp. since a reader may ascribe more difference between the two impressions than what really exists.
It is really true that you can really learn, ask the right q's and get to know and explain why one gets a taller stage and one doesn't or what have you. Even w/o hearing the earphones, if you know your ears and sources and ask the right questions(esp. to learn things like the mutliple BA and impedance and other power/pairing related issues) to fill things in as needed you can still get the answer to which of the impressions is closer to what you will hear. Not a 90% kind of thing. Certainly lower % accuracy but high enough to make a fine purchasing choice and not end up with surprises or real noticeable differences barring a malfunction/bad batch kind of thing.
