Why HiFi Gear Measurements Are Misleading (yes ASR talking to you…)


About 25 years ago I was inside a large room with an A-frame ceiling and large skylights, during the Perseid Meteor Shower that happens every August. This one time was like no other, for two reasons: 1) There were large, red, fragmenting streaks multiple times a minute with illuminated smoke trails, and 2) I could hear them.

Yes, each meteor produced a sizzling sound, like the sound of a frying pan.

Amazed, I Googled this phenomena and found that many people reported hearing this same sizzling sound associated with meteors streaking across the sky. In response, scientists and astrophysicists said it was all in our heads. That, it was totally impossible. Why? Because of the distance between the meteor and the observer. Physics does not allow sound to travel fast enough to hear the sound at the same time that the meteor streaks across the sky. Case closed.

ASR would have agreed with this sound reasoning based in elementary science.

Fast forward a few decades. The scientists were wrong. Turns out, the sound was caused by radiation emitted by the meteors, traveling at the speed of light, and interacting with metallic objects near the observer, even if the observer is indoors. Producing a sizzling sound. This was actually recorded audibly by researchers along with the recording of the radiation. You can look this up easily and listen to the recordings.

Takeaway - trust your senses! Science doesn’t always measure the right things, in the right ways, to fully explain what we are sensing. Therefore your sensory input comes first. You can try to figure out the science later.

I’m not trying to start an argument or make people upset. Just sharing an experience that reinforces my personal way of thinking. Others of course are free to trust the science over their senses. I know this bothers some but I really couldn’t be bothered by that. The folks at ASR are smart people too.

nyev
Post removed 

@amir_asr Simple suggestion. Put all Nordost power cables in your system and than swap them with Cardas. Try playing some familiar music to somebody who has zero interest in hi fi, first with one set of cables, than with other.

I bet that any person with a healthy hearing would conclude that those would be two very ’different’ presentations

 

So, with all that science mentioned I wonder why anybody has not yet discovered the ’trick’ that cable producers use in making their power cords having a distinctive signature like their other lines of cables. Trust me, everyone hates spending money on power cables.(or usb)

If you would, by any chance, ’dicover’ the method used by them (producers) and somehow find the solution to have the same influence on sound signature of some system, but without using those expensive aftermarket cables, you would be person of the year for many audiophiles.

Think about it. You have consistency in ’testimonials’ from various people, who are different as they can be, with also very different systems. And yet, almost majority of them hears the same thing. Find me one person who uses Cardas power cord on Burmester gear or Nordost on Ayre (and has system that sounds ’right’)

There is even perhaps some truth or use in things you do, but you ’fall’ on basics and because of it you are closing the doors for you for so many people.Nobody (in ’audiophile world’) will ever take you serious when you make claims like that.

On the other hand, I would say that you might have very different motivs all together. I have met many sceptics, usually it only takes one swap of the cables for them to hear the difference. Majority of them usually could not care less about such things. But, for you its not just the cables, there are tubes, vinyl and many other thing that you got issues with. Why is that, only you know. For people who follow your ’lead’, hope one day they will come in situation where they will have a chance to hear a good sounding system.Perhaps than they might change their mind. Until than, they will for sure at least save more money than some others...after all, hi fi is a just something we do for fun...nothing profoundly serious about it..

Other than that, there is not much more to be said. We shall all go on our merry way . I would advise anyone to stay away from any further discussion with you, as there is simply no point. Likewise, people who are using insults in their conversation with you, should know better not to

 

@nyev ,

 

I think you would have a hard time getting recognized subjective reviewers to participate. This is why I don't participate in arguments about controversial audio products. It makes no sense to argue so hard about something that could be put to rest in a day or two and a couple of plane tickets.

amir_asr

There is currently no research going on to validate what you all claim to hear.

Nonsense. There are many people striving to advance the audio arts. Some of them are right here on A'gon.

So do what you want. But please don’t talk to me about it.

No one needs your permission to participate here.

@nyev ,

 

But, for you its not just the cables, there are tubes, vinyl and many other thing that you got issues with. Why is that, only you know. For people who follow your ’lead’, hope one day they will come in situation where they will have a chance to hear a good sounding system.

While I don't agree with some of the conclusion you have reached, you have been respectful, so I will respectfully point something out. You are doing exactly the same thing you have accused Amir of. Your statement, "one day they will come in situation where they will have a chance to hear a good sounding system" is biased and makes a conclusion you have no ability to make. You have no way of knowing they have not heard an exceptionally good system, to them. What they may find good sounding is completely different from what someone else may find good sounding.

 

there are tubes, vinyl and many other thing that you got issues with.

Here we can agree, and I think, but won't put words in his mouth, that @prof would agree too. I accept from a particular technical basis that Amir will rate anything with tubes in it poorly. I think it should also be accepted that not all audio systems have room correction, or acoustic treatments, or perfect speakers. On that basis alone, a tube amplifier could result in a combination that is technically more accurate when the totality of the system is considered. There could also be sonic characteristics that the end user just likes. Distortion, clipping, it really does not matter, just that they like it.  For vinyl, digital sources clearly provide a significant advantage in capability and accuracy. However, we don't just listen to minute details, we listen to the totality of the performance. If a particular vinyl pressing offers a superior performance, for any number of reasons, then that it is the superior format for that particular recording.