People get mad at affiliate links?
Look, I make no money off this hobby/guide whatsoever. I made a few hundred publishing reviews for Headphone.guru (as a freelance reviewer for the site for a few reviews). Other than that and sometimes getting to keep a headphone here or there (after the fact, as in they tell me that I don't need to send it back), I make absolutely nothing off this.
But if I could, with just a few affiliate links, people would think I'm a sell out? Do you know how expensive this hobby is? If I can make $20 for posting an affiliate link to a headphone I reviewed, how is that bad? You gonna pay my bills? No. So while I have never done that (I'm either too lazy, or dumb to go through all that process), I don't see how someone trying to earn a living through this hobby is a bad thing. Unless that guy is getting paid DIRECTLY by the people whose products he is reviewing, using an affiliate link is the less harmful than asking for a donation to keep his head above water. The person BUYING a product doesn't have to spend extra, and he earns essentially what amounts to a referral fee.
Sit down because I'm about to get REAL. This isn't to stir up sympathy or whatever, this is just the truth, take it or leave it (I put myself in this depressing state, no one else). I basically earn minimum wage. I'm in my 30s now, and I had to move back in with my mother because I couldn't afford my own place after my ex, and then roommates moved out of my apartment. I sleep on a futon on the floor, constantly questioning all the decisions I have made in my life, and how I basically threw it away.
Yet, here I am, doing reviews for basically no benefit of my own but because I used to love this hobby. If I could make a decent amount of money by just having an affiliate link to headphones I really recommend to you guys, would that be so bad? Does that throw a red flag? You can check any and all of the links for any of the reviews I have. there are no affiliate links. Just straight product pages, and perhaps an Amazon link if the headphone is available.
Anywhoo, it just bothers me that people look down on others that perhaps get sponsored and or paid. Nothing in this life is free. As long as the reviewer is clear that he isn't endorsed by the product in question, people have no right to complain. If I was endorsed by say....Astrogaming to put in an ad in a video... that video wouldn't be reviewing an Astro product.
As for reviewer bias... guess what? We are ALL biased. There is no such thing as an unbiased reviewer. We clearly have our preferences. However, there is such thing as an OBJECTIVE review. An example of that is something like my T70p review. The T70p isn't my cup of tea. It's my personal bias that I prefer a warmer, bolder sound, and will never have a general like for headphones like the T70p despite knowing it's a good headphone that serves the need of others. That being said, I try to be objective and review the headphone as someone who is INTO brighter, detailed headphones instead.
