Jerome,
I don't believe that the lack of reviews in audio magazines does not have to do with advertising but, rather, with the fact that many of them require a minimum number of distributors (I remember reading "at least 5 US distributors" for Stereophile) to consider items for a full review.
But I consider Art Dudley's use of Shindo gear in his own system (despite the lack of full reviews) to be even more telling than any review
.
Alberto