Public Methodology · v2.0
How the ClarityPoint score is built.
The pipeline in four steps
- Source acquisition — automated discovery surfaces reviews from a curated panel (RTINGS, The Verge, Wirecutter, Tom’s Guide, CNET, Engadget, SoundGuys, What Hi-Fi?, MKBHD, DC Rainmaker, DPReview, others by category). Only reviews from the panel count. Minimum 3 sources per consensus page; Amazon Buyers aggregate is allowed as one source when ≥50 ratings exist.
- Score normalization — every native scale converted to 0–100. Star ratings, /10 scores, /100 scores, percentage scores, Editor’s Choice / Top Pick designations all mapped via a published lookup table (see below). Missing sources are excluded from the average, never treated as zero.
- Aggregation — equal-weight mean across the panel. Subscores (ANC / battery / display / etc.) aggregated the same way per-dimension. Confidence flag attached based on panel breadth and inter-rater spread.
- Editorial verification — every takeaway on a page can be traced back to the source review’s URL. No editorial inference is added between the source and the page.
Normalization table
| Native scale | Mapping rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10 numeric | × 10 | 9.2 / 10 → 92 |
| 0–5 stars | × 20 | 4.5 / 5 → 90 |
| 0–100 numeric | passthrough | 87 / 100 → 87 |
| Percentage | passthrough | 88 % → 88 |
| “Top Pick” / “Editor’s Choice” | → 95 | Wirecutter Top Pick → 95 |
| “Recommend” | → 88 | MKBHD Recommend → 88 |
| “Strong recommend” | → 92 | DC Rainmaker → 92 |
| “Runner-up” | → 85 | Wirecutter Runner-up → 85 |
| DxOMark sensor score | (score/110)×100 | 102 → 93 |
| Amazon Buyers aggregate | native_stars × 20, gated ≥50 ratings | 4.7 / 5 (8,712) → 94 |
Editorial team
No anonymous byline. Every page is signed by a category editor responsible for source selection, normalization audit, and verdict.
Marcus Cho
Headphones & Audio editor
Priya Patel
Phones & Mobile editor
Sam Lambert
Wearables & Health editor
Alex Chen
Computing & Tablets editor
Jordan Reese
Cameras & Imaging editor
Dani Kovac
Home Theater & TV editor
API access
Programmatic access to consensus scores, comparison matrices, and generation deltas. Endpoints:
GET /api/v1/consensus/{slug} # 0–100 score, reviewer panel, subscores
GET /api/v1/comparison/{a-vs-b} # head-to-head matrix
GET /api/v1/contrast/{family_key} # generation timeline + upgrade matrix
GET /api/v1/upgrade/{from}/{to} # specific upgrade verdict
GET /api/v1/comparison/{a-vs-b} # head-to-head matrix
GET /api/v1/contrast/{family_key} # generation timeline + upgrade matrix
GET /api/v1/upgrade/{from}/{to} # specific upgrade verdict
Rate-limited free tier for personal use; commercial use from $500/mo. Contact for API key →
