When people with such experience in audio like Nelson Pass, Rob Watts talk about measurements and correlation between SQ and measurements I respect their opinion.
But how many people with such knowledge experience in audio are exist?
Yeah. And how many like Stan Ricker?
One year at CES they're having some kind of problem with the PA. Well not really what most would even call a problem. From where I was standing way in back it sounded like a perfectly normal PA. But some people up closer and near the middle were complaining.
Frantic running around on stage. Frantic checking of connections. Some old guy yells out something about a cap, or resistor. I forget. Couldn't hear from where I was anyway. Not the point.
Point is it was some small part in some random PA system causing a "problem" so small most weren't even aware of it, and yet some guy in the audience knew what part and he knew this just by listening.
If anyone reading this was there please chime in because as I recall the news swept through the crowd to where in no time even guys like me standing way in back knew it was Stan Ricker who heard and knew with his ears exactly what was wrong and how to fix it.
And they did what he said and all was well.
So look, its not like anyone is saying measurements don't matter AT ALL or aren't worth doing AT ALL. Is just that in the final analysis the measurements are secondary to the human experience.