Does 'Accuracy' Matter or exist ?

Who cares about accuracy if it sounds good? On the other hand , if it is too much off it won't sound good to those who can hear. And it is not only about equipment, it is also about the instruments. I heard some that sounded very colored and distorted, much worse than my modest system. I also heard Paco de Lucia play and his guitar sounded incredible, unamplified without microphones in a really big concert hall. The room too can be totally "inaccurate".

From Wikipedia:

"In the fields of science, engineering, industry and statistics, the accuracy of a measurement system is the degree of closeness of measurements of a quantity to its actual (true) value. The precision of a measurement system, also called reproducibility or repeatability, is the degree to which repeated measurements under unchanged conditions show the same results. Although the two words can be synonymous in colloquial use, they are deliberately contrasted in the context of the scientific method.

A measurement system can be accurate but not precise, precise but not accurate, neither, or both. For example, if an experiment contains a systematic error, then increasing the sample size generally increases precision but does not improve accuracy. Eliminating the systematic error improves accuracy but does not change precision.

A measurement system is called valid if it is both accurate and precise. Related terms are bias (non-random or directed effects caused by a factor or factors unrelated by the independent variable) and error (random variability), respectively."

Accuracy cannot be seperated from precision, which is why I mentioned it in my first post. In any case, I would suggest that most of us start out in this hobby trying to reduce systematic errors in an effort to make our audio systems more "valid" starting from the electrical and material sources and ending at our ears. As I have become more experienced and traveled down some blind alleys in what might be considered a pure pursuit of better specifications, and therefore "accuracy", I began to realize there is more to it. Specifications are still important, but not the only thing or the holy grail. I now find myself basing decisions on listening to gear and reading more reviews by people whose taste I generally agree with, and reading less about and into techincal specifications and measures.

The first post and several subsequent have alluded to the fact that at best we can try to faithfully reproduce, at our ear, the sound intended by the original production team, regardless of whether this is actually an "accurate" reproduction of the original performance and recording space. Given that, our systems may reliably reproduce a very detailed version of this original recording that lacks some in presence, or a version rich in the original tone and timbre that may lack some speed and attack. Both of these may be equally "accurate" or "inaccurate" versions of the original, but may appeal to different people who prize those particular attributes in their listening experience.

While it is certainly not a guarantee, I generally feel you are more likely to find all of these desirable listening elements coexisting together (limited of course by what is present in the original recording) along with better measured specificiations in more expensive gear. At the more modest levels (where I tend to shop), how it sounds at home in my listening room is of more value to me than printed specifications that may speak to some greater measure of "accuracy". I do know what I like when I hear it, but it turns out I do not know it very precisely.

I want the instruments to sound the way I think they're supposed to sound, e.g., strings, woodwinds, brass, keyboards, percussion, vocals, etc. This meets my definition of accuracy.

From Wikipedia:

"In the fields of science, engineering, industry and statistics, the accuracy of a measurement system is the degree of closeness of measurements of a quantity to its actual (true) value.

If this were a pro-audio forum where there was some aspect of engineering and science to what the participants were being relied upon to accomplish, this might be something to consider. But this is a forum of end-users - those who assemble equipment in order to enjoy the music. Let me say that again, as it has been said so many times in this thread: The goal here is TO ENJOY THE MUSIC. You can use whatever criteria fits your own personal take on it, and if your own interpretation of what "accuracy" means to you fits into that personal interpretation, then so be it. It does not matter and you will never find any remotely universal agreement on any of it.

05-13-11: Abucktwoeighty
100% accuracy means perfection. 95% accuracy does not.

Accuracy has nothing whatsoever to do with perfection. Accuracy is a notion that is objective, Perfection is judgment which is entirely subjective and will not be universal ("perfect" beauty for a westerner may be a polar opposite for someone from a tribe in Africa or from an Asian or Persian culture). What is a perfect movie or perfect book? Perfect music? Perfect clothing? Perfect food? Any answers to those are simply an opinion and nothing more. If we were to believe MrTennis and Abucktwoeighty, then a perfect movie is the one that is 100% accurate....perfect beauty is 100% accurate...a perfect musical performance is one that is 100% accurate. Accuracy is essentially true or false and nothing more. It has little to do with how human beings perceive and interpret the world around them and does require a universal agreement as to what defines what is true and what is false in any application of the word. In absence of that universal agreement you will never have "accuracy". You will NEVER find such a universal agreement on any notion of "perfection" or personal tastes. It is not remotely the same.

Of course accuracy exists and it is somewhat important. Without a standard of accuracy we would have subjective chaos. Without a standard of accuracy someone could assert that their 8-track, Crown amp and Bose 901s (Series IV) sounded better and was more pleasurable than anything they heard a the last CES and the statement would be unassailable.

At a practical gauging an individual component's accuracy is relatively difficult, but doing the same for a system/room is much easier. Contact a mastering studio and arrange to attend an actual mastering session. Listen to the final mix. Purchase a copy of the recording. Does the recording played back in your room on your system sound like the recording when played in the mastering room? If it sounds substantially the same, then your system/room is fairly accurate, at least to your ears.

Additionally, if accuracy wasn't at least somewhat important, then why have high costs, high end systems? If the only measure is enjoyment/involvement, then is sipping a quality bourbon while sitting next to a super sexy woman and listening to a table radio a more musically enjoyable event than listening alone in the dark to some $100k+ audiophile system? Which is more memorable?