Analytical or Musical Which way to go?

"H. H. Scott was a manufacturer of tubed audio components back in the 1950s and 60s. The chief engineer was Mr. Donald von Recklinghausen. His most famous quotation goes something like this: "If a component measures good and sounds good, it is good. If a component sounds good but measures bad, you're measuring the wrong thing." To say that the wrong measurements have been made for decades would be to take the easy way out. It might be far more appropriate to say that in the absence of the "right" measurement, too much emphasis has been placed on the "wrong" measurement. While this "wrong" measurement is still an appropriate and valuable measurement to make, it is just not the most important measurement anymore."

To say that the wrong measurements have been made for decades would be to take the easy way out. It might be far more appropriate to say that in the absence of the "right" measurement, too much emphasis has been placed on the "wrong" measurement.

I can hang with that, but IMO the latter aspect, 'too much emphasis' has been going on for too many decades. This has been a problem in both amplifier and speaker design, in terms of jumping the gap from 'hifi' to 'real music'. The problem is that human hearing rules take a back seat in the generation of many specs and test procedures.

Humans are so unpredictable.

The question remains who is the final arbiter? Measurements,reviewers or cutomers. Assuming some consensus could be reached about what measurements are important from a business point that would seem to be your choice.

Certainly there is no consistency between reviewers and customers.

I would go for musical every time, give me euphonic, coloured, tubes and I'm a happy bunny.

A more interesting way to express the question, is, how does the Speaker designer work on a new design? Is it by measurement or careful listening and tweaking. Now I know the two are'nt mutually exclusive, that "listener" will measure too and vice versa, but I'm sure different manufacturers rely on one or the other more.

There are 3 manufacturers that come to mind, in the"analytical" camp, Wilson, Focal and BandW. Just my view and others may argue I am wrong. All three I find unlistenable for any length of time. Wilson in particuar, I really dislike, apart from the cheapest, Duettes.

My own speakers, Daedalus, are largely voiced by listening and they are the best I have had.

So what path the manufacturer takes in designing the speaker, seems more important. I quite accept listening and measuring are'nt mutually exclusive.