2. misc-audio
  3. 178244-20253

What covid research can teach us about audio measurements.

Recent studies in Canada for patients with so-called long covid show us on how science and measurements and research actually works.

Patients with long covid suffering from limited ability to exercise passed most "normal" tests but it took a new type of test to positively identify a mechanism that explained why the patients suffered.

 

Honestly there is a lot of snake oil and charlatanism in our hobby, and I don't claim to discount that fact.  What I do want to say is that science doesn't rest with 50 year old measurements.  It evolves to measure and explain constantly. 

The reason I am personally dissatisfied with audio measurements in the common literature is exactly because of this stagnation, and when these fail us we trust our ears and gut for lack of better tools. 

Anyone who runs the same 20 measurements on an amplifier or DAC and claims it is science and that these measurements are all that can be known is fooling themselves into believing that they are scientists or that we have reached the limits of understanding.

And above all, caveat emptor!

erik_squires
gs5556
1,218 posts
 

Good designs will generate the same data, whether DACs, speakers or amplifiers. It's boring because a lot of gear is competently designed, and why it looks repetitive.

If you hook up a computer to two different cars, can the data tell you which car is quieter? More comfortable? Faster? No. What it tells you is that the cars are engineered correctly and you can expect consistent use for a long period of time.  That's how I look at measurement data in audio equipment.

 

nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,640 posts
 

No biggie.   Let it ride. 

Agreed. I've always been of the mind to leave everything up for everyone to see and decide for themselves, instead of all of this censoring. It's like they're trying to create a false narrative for posterity.

All the best,
Nonoise

 

dbagstrick
23 posts
 

And another post removed. 

Moderators working under the cloak of secrecy, maybe try and contact so we understand. I read the guidelines, my removed post did not break any of the 'rules',

larryi
3,788 posts
 

Conventional measurement data does not give one ANY meaningful information about the sound of the amplifier (except, perhaps output power).  Any company reporting specifications will have an amp whose distortion and noise lie well below the supposed threshold of audibility.  Does it matter if an amp has .02% harmonic distortion vs. another amp with half that measure?  If, as a subjectivist, you insist on evaluating based on measurements, you have to also accept the extensive research and testing that shows that humans are unable to detect pretty high levels of harmonic distortion, particularly low order harmonic distortion.  Levels like 10% or more of 2nd order harmonic distortion is undetectable at certain audible frequencies.

It would be easy for the measurement crowd to win the argument by simply doing an experiment that shows a statistical correlation between measured distortion at the levels seen in consumer amps and either listener preference or even listener ability to distinguish between two amplifiers.  i have not seen that demonstrated.   

 

nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,640 posts
 

@dbagstrick 

You can always contact Admin directly by

  • hovering your cursor over Forums
  • move it over to the right to Contact Us,
  • scroll down to How Do I Contact Support?
  • choose Support Ticket
  • compose your thoughts, and be nice but accurate 😄

They always respond this way.

All the best,
Nonoise

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