One of the problems with gear reviews in magazines is that the one reg selected represents all of them of that model. So if the reg is hand picked and tuned and sent from the factory it may not represent a real life off the shelf reg. On the other hand, if person in charge of the testing picks one off the shelf that has not been properly tuned or checked by the dive shop (or worse an on-line retailer) then the reg accurately measures the poor quality of the one dealer involved, not neccesarily the reg model. This is a valid concern as if you bought the same reg from an LDS and it was not breathing well, you could return it to have them retune it. So there is some merit to both sides of the argument.
To get an accurate picture of a particular reg model, you'd need to test several regs from several sources and the only place where you can get that kind of input is here on Scubaboard where a question about a particular model will get a variety of responses from a number of divers of different expereince levels each with a different regulator of that model used in a wide range of conditions. Some of the posters will have more experience than opthers and will have a better basis for comparision, but the general quality and performance of a regulator model quickly becomes apparent.
And while Scubaboard does sell advertising, it has no impact on what a particular members says about a company's products. That is not the case with many dive magazines where there is often some pressure to soften an otherwise very harsh review of a regulator sold by a company that spends big money on advertising.
