I don't want to beat a dead horse but I'm bugged.

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

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....

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.

@nonoise :

Those of the "measurements are the only thing that matters" crowd have their own agenda

More like a marketing tool, a sales pitch. No different than other sales pitch.

I don't even want to entertain what motivates them

At the top of the list.... money. As with everything in life. Right below, my guess is, things like ego, fame, popularity.

Some engineers don't listen or want to. Many are in it only in it for the specs, not the music. The special designers with golden ears are a rare breed any more.