2. misc-audio
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I don't want to beat a dead horse but I'm bugged.

I just can't clear my head of this. I don't want to start a measurements vs listening war and I'd appreciate it if you guys don't, but I bought a Rogue Sphinx V3 as some of you may remember and have been enjoying it quite a bit. So, I head over to AVS and read Amir's review and he just rips it apart. But that's OK, measurements are measurements, that is not what bugs me. I learned in the early 70s that distortion numbers, etc, may not be that important to me. Then I read that he didn't even bother listening to the darn thing. That is what really bugs me. If something measures so poorly, wouldn't you want to correlate the measurements with what you hear? Do people still buy gear on measurements alone? I learned that can be a big mistake. I just don't get it, never have. Can anybody provide some insight to why some people are stuck on audio measurements? Help me package that so I can at least understand what they are thinking without dismissing them completely as a bunch of mislead sheep. 

128x128russ69
thyname's avatar
thyname
3,107 posts
 

I don't think anyone gets offended by measurements. I do think people get offended when the measurement crowd poops in their subjective (read: personal preferences) enjoyment of music and good audio by declaring placebo, hallucination, "prove it to me", double blind test, evidence, and that kind of stuff.

fiesta75
1,378 posts
 

If distortion is < then 1% and signal to noise > 90dB it is worth a listen for me 😀

nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,577 posts
 

Welcome to the world of "alternative facts" folks. It's been happening for some time now. People with an agenda will resort to all manner of lies and deception to win over the unwashed masses. 

Those of the "measurements are the only thing that matters" crowd have their own agenda  (I don't even want to entertain what motivates them). They claim that measurements are the final arbiter of truth. That there is no higher learning and that it's absolute, nothing higher or better to judge by. Hogwash. 

As time goes on, there will be better ways of measuring and knowing what to measure, instead of relying on some biblical electrical codex, like they were stone tablets brought down from on high. They've framed the argument that way as it's something we can all innately relate to, but it's a very faulty premise. Too bad it's developed as large a cult following as it has but that's human nature: to belong to something larger than yourself, and as we all know, we don't make mistakes, do we? 😄

All the best,
Nonoise

 

audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
2,004 posts
 

John Atkinson measured the Border Patrol dac that Herb Reichert reviewed, who found it to sound magnificent. John found that it did not measure well. I’m not certain if he even gave it a listen. I believe he was bewildered as to what Herb heard. Anyhow, that is just one example. There are countless reviews both individual consumers and pro reviewers that found that the Sphinx integrated V1-V3 sounds terrific. So, unless lots and lots of people have awful hearing or frequently suffer hallucinations, then it must sound pretty darn good. I'm actually contemplating buying a V3, not that I need one. Herb mentions in his review of the V3, that it is destined to be a classic, just like the NAD 3020....

petg60
1,486 posts
 

Measurements are for designers to ensure that a component works to specification and to improve on areas where they feel that those degrade audio quality.

All measurements are objective but have credit and a meaning only when comparing apples to apples but even then do not show the whole story.

We the rest judge by experience and that is what drives this hobby since its birth.

 

 

 

 

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