I agree with you Neal, that there are too many who are eager to recommend something they haven't tried (though I have no idea if this is the case here or not, I'm just speaking theoretically), but the flipside is just as bad, fanboys who recommend their own equipment, simply because its what they have.
The trick is to strike a balance. Nobody has run everything. You may have seen me recommend a P5 recently in another thread. This is an engine I personally have never used, however, I've been on the track against them, and I know from many years of solid feedback that they are great engines for the intended use of the poster.
I guess all I'm saying is that as long as the research is done right, the best advice need not necessarily be from experience. It does however, take many years experience to do the research right, it's a bit of a catch 22.
