Audio Science Review = "The better the measurement, the better the sound" philosophy

@rolox +1

@kokakolia : I think I understand what you were trying to convey, get your “drift “, but I am not really sure:

ASR is a big deal.

ASR has the advantage of using sciency graphs and very little words. This is what people want.

Some stuff I used to read over the years at ASR is mind boggling. Say on a DAC, comparing (read: measuring) a $12,500 DAC vs. a $300 DAC. They measure pretty much the same, good. Any difference in measurements is simply way beyond human hearing (many of the measurements say the same thing, beyond human hearing threshold). So both are in the list with the same score and “points”. However, who in the right mind would buy the expensive DAC on that list, when the same quality DAC (read: measured quality) can be purchased at a fraction of that price? They proceed to say, yes, some people like to buy “bling”, and they can be totally excused for that, as long as they do NOT “make claims” on the sound quality, which obviously based on the impeccable measurements, is just the same. 🤦‍♂️

I will add, regarding the subject of cables (and other "accessories") that constantly placing those in the "snake oil" and "ripoffs" section is also a huge disservice to newbies or to those who try to keep the costs manageable.

The opposite is true, it's a huge service to newbies who want to keep costs manageable. 

People can vent all they want. ASR is a good source of realism and someplace like it is a great service. Noone forces anyone to take their advice which is basically here's the measurements decide for yourself. If you prefer a $12000 DAC to a $300 DAC then by all means buy one, if you claim it's "better" on ASR then you need to be able to prove it. It's not hard simply listen to them in a controlled blind test. The disservice this forum has for newbies is the mindset price determines ability which hasn't been true for decades in this niche hobby. If there is one overall piece of advice I would take from ASR is test for yourself, don't assume you're immune from human bias and the biggest factor that determines what you hear is your  speakers/room .

@djones51  My issue with ASR is that they frame the discussion on their terms. ASR's testbench is the law, anything else is fairytales. This showcases an incredibly narrow way of thinking which will have notable consequences in the long-term:

- Homogenization of products. ASR makes it implicitly clear that there is only one way to build a speaker, a DAC or an amplifier. All other methods are inferior. Any deviation from neutral is viewed as a mortal sin. 

- Stifling innovation. Because unconventional approaches to Hi-fi are ridiculed. I dare you to say anything positive about a fullrange driver or tube amplifier on ASR! 

- Hype over 2 or 3 products at the expense of everything else. The SINAD ranking of amplifiers exemplifies that perfectly. 

So part of me is willing to accept the ASR mentality out of convenience. Find a good amp, a good DAC and a good speaker and mass produce it to the extreme to bring the cost down and eliminate the doubt during purchase. 

And another part of me is kinda sad because building a Hi-Fi system is deeply personal. There is no "one size fits all" approach. Every room is different. Every person is anatomically and psychologically different. I doubt that a speaker like the KEF LS50 will be a good fit for ALL people. 

@kokakolia - Amidst the humor and sarcasm it seems your point is that ASR is a bigger deal than I give them credit for and people who are not capable or experienced enough to come to their own conclusions turn to ASR and the Pink Panther as the authority on the quality and value of audio equipment. Therefore, when the panther loses his head because ASR erroneously pans the sonic performance and/or value of a piece of audio equipment (because of their over reliance on objective testing), then potential buyers get scared off resulting in lost value for the seller. You are right, I hadn’t thought of that.