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

@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.

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.

That's right..listen for differences.

Science gives us weather forecasts and Covid dictates. It has its place, but one case of positive listening and negative electrical testing, or the reverse demonstrates to us that all properties are not being measured.

This is a waste of time if you’re going to mischaracterize ASR based on a few posts or threads.

Senior Members of ASR use all types of amplifiers, speakers, digital and yes even vinyl. There are members who have designed tube amps, designed speakers of various types, as well as have extensive knowledge and training in Psychoacoustics among other disciplines. Maybe try to spend some time reading instead of confronting. They may show the best engineering of certain products through testing but they don’t discourage discussion of less than stellar performers. I don’t really understand the hostility.

If you don’t like ASR then ignore them, but they’re not going away.