Mr. T, any measurement instrument ever devised, for the purpose of measuring anything, has (or at least should have) what is commonly referred to as an "accuracy" specification associated with it, notwithstanding the fact that the specification arguably would be better referred to as an "inaccuracy" specification.
A thermometer, for example, may be "accurate" to within +/- 0.5 degrees. A scale may be "accurate" to within +/- 0.1 pounds. A speedometer may be "accurate" to within +/- 2 mph.
And, btw, nothing is perfect, not even in nature. Consider the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. But fundamental to the design processes that underlie just about any engineering achievement are error analyses that address and take into account myriad contributors to inaccuracy.
IMO the fact that perfect accuracy in an audio component is neither achievable nor even precisely definable is not reason to declare inapplicable to audio the goals of striving to reduce inaccuracy/improve accuracy, and/or striving to better characterize the inaccuracy.
I agree with Bryon 100%.
Regards,
-- Al
A thermometer, for example, may be "accurate" to within +/- 0.5 degrees. A scale may be "accurate" to within +/- 0.1 pounds. A speedometer may be "accurate" to within +/- 2 mph.
05-14-11: MrtennisAnd from the current thread on accuracy:
You may be confusing degrees of inaccuracy with degrees of accuracy which is illogical.
05-13-11: MrtennisYour comments strike me as drawing a distinction without there being a meaningful difference. Do the facts that nothing is perfect, and nothing is perfectly accurate, negate the value of either striving for ways in which accuracy might be improved, or striving to identify and characterize inaccuracies, and in the process hopefully making possible better informed tradeoffs between accuracy and subjectively pleasing inaccuracies?
You guys are forgetting about a basic fact. accuracy means perfection.
for example one inch is exactly one inch. in audio, all components have flaws. they are imperfect. therefore accuracy cannot exist .
it has nothing to do with listening. its the fact that all components are designed with flaws. you might be able to find components which produce a sound which provides sufficient resolution , a balanced frequency response, and other attributes that appeal to audiophiles. if a stereo system performs that way , where most recordings sound different and there is no noticeable consistent sonic signature, the condition may be "virtual accuracy", but a stereo system can never be accurate (perfect) since the components that make up the stereo sytem are not accurate.
And, btw, nothing is perfect, not even in nature. Consider the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. But fundamental to the design processes that underlie just about any engineering achievement are error analyses that address and take into account myriad contributors to inaccuracy.
IMO the fact that perfect accuracy in an audio component is neither achievable nor even precisely definable is not reason to declare inapplicable to audio the goals of striving to reduce inaccuracy/improve accuracy, and/or striving to better characterize the inaccuracy.
I agree with Bryon 100%.
Regards,
-- Al