ACTUAL MUSICAL SOUND VS. MEASUREMENTS

Measurements are critical

How else would I know if it's going to fit in my rack

I couldn’t agree more with your sentiment. While measurements have their place in audio as a tool to guide design and provide some objective insights, they can never fully encapsulate the actual listening experience. The relentless focus on measurements over at places like Audio Science Review completely misses the point for me. Audio gear isn’t just about technical perfection on paper, it’s about how it engages you emotionally and connects you to the music.

I’ve encountered far too many people who dismiss cables, components, or even entire systems based solely on what their meters tell them, without ever giving them a fair listen. To me, that’s not what being an audiophile is about. No measurement can replicate the nuances of live music or the way a particular setup resonates with you personally. Listening is what ultimately matters, and it’s frustrating when people ignore that in favor of a purely numbers-driven approach. Music is an art form, not a science experiment!

It’s a great thread, thank ya’ll!

Sometimes I wonder how the proponents of measurements live their lives. I’d imagine it must be quite dull if everything is reduced to numbers and data, without room for personal experience or enjoyment.

Music would be all out of tune without measurements, eh? 😉

Case closed.

Mapman. Do you mean that humans did not make music before they could measure it? That doesn’t make sense to me. There are some tribal people today (I think) who make music and don’t read or write and have not heard of notes on a page.

Mapman is exactly right..., music would be all out of tune without measurements.

Take a string instrument as an example. On a string instrument, one octave is half the string length, and each subsequent octave is half that length.  Same goes for an organ pipe. 

Every note in the octave has an exacting length to produce that note in tune.

Get the measurements wrong, and everything is out of tune.

Basic engineering. When you are buying a car or a home, do you look for quality construction and actual measured performance. Or do you trust tales of "italian soul"? Same thing.

Poorly designer equipment will still sound great with some music in some room. Say, your room has resonances. Well, speaker that dips at those frequencies will sound great to you. Flat speaker will sound horrible. So there. Equipment that measures oddly is just and equalizer.

Why, cables will greatly affect old type tube equipment where input or output impedance is reactive. Poorly designed power supplies will be sensitive to power cables.

Now, Ethernet cables do not matter. Seriously. :-)

@cdc i research each piece of equipment I buy and each cable I use. I do work with Infigo Audio cables on the side and I actually set up a demo program where people could try before they buy.  All systems and listening environments are different. No one system that most of us have are the same and even if they are they have different cables in them in different listening environments. I like to try before I buy.  I also require black backgrounds, low noise floors and good soundstages in what I use. My preferences is to always have air around instruments and the treble must be airy and extended. My amp has a black background with air and space.  It also uses all Class A power but biased at 35 watts. My Infigo Method 4 dac uses the ess Sabre 9038 dac chipset with multiple dac chips with miniature heat seats around each chip to limit the heat that limits distortion caused by the heat.  It has been tested to make no noise even when turned to 140db. My speakers were designed a former designer for gamut. The German high speaker maker. So my Gato performs extremely well and punches way above the 14k price point.  Like all of us do.  When spending your money. Do your research but try to try all you can when you have the opportunity.  

@mikhailark it depends on your equipment. The combination and the room that you have it in.  But it has to please your ears in your listening environments. Yes there are basic things that it should do but ultimately.  It can measure great and still sound like crap Use your ear in your room with your equipment. 

@2psyop exactly my biggest argument with the measurement group.  Music is meant to be enjoyed not measured. Measurements can help for the environments they are in. But if something’s measures great but sounds like crap,to your ear. You will not be playing it. 

@hasmarto this is the main point I make. I use measurements sparingly at best.  It has to sound good or I don’t give a darn.  I listen for hours when my ears are pleased.  Measurements don’t matter if it’s not pleasing, enjoying or engaging.