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


"Audiophiles are Snobs"  Youtube features an idiot!  He states, with no equivocation,  that $5,000 and $10,000 speakers sound equally good and a $500 and $5,000 integrated amp sound equally good.  He is either deaf or a liar or both! 

There is a site filled with posters like him called Audio Science Review.  If a reasonable person posts, they immediately tear him down, using selected words and/or sentences from the reasonable poster as100% proof that the audiophile is dumb and stupid with his money. They also occasionally state that the high end audio equipment/cable/tweak sellers are criminals who commit fraud on the public.  They often state that if something scientifically measures better, then it sounds better.   They give no credence to unmeasurable sound factors like PRAT and Ambiance.   Some of the posters music choices range from rap to hip hop and anything pop oriented created in the past from 1995.  

Have any of audiogon (or any other reasonable audio forum site) posters encountered this horrible group of miscreants?  

fleschler

 

I just revisited another older thread on ASR where someone posted the measurements of the Joseph Audio Pulsar speakers.

The general response to the measurements by the ASR crowd in that thread was "meh, not bad, not great, look at these problems...over-priced."

This is similar to the response to the Devore speakers I mentioned earlier.

If I’d used enthusiasms of the ASR members as my guide to speakers there’s no reason I ever would have pursued either the Devore or Joseph speakers. (And ended up with Genelec or KEF etc lauded in that forum).   And yet after a huge speaker audition binge they stood out head and shoulders as my favorite. I found each to be very special in their own way. And in fact I found the descriptions in subjective reviews absolutely NAILED the sonic characteristics I heard in those speakers. Which, again, is why I still can find worth in subjective reports not just measurements.

Keep in mind, that above is not to say "therefore measurements aren’t useful or don’t tell you anything" or that the ASR members were wrong in interpreting issues in the measurements that would be audible. But rather, there is the wider context about our individual goals and tastes.

 

 

So knowing that our senses are so misleading how can the audio subjectivists rely solely on their hearing? 

The bottom line in audio is how the system sounds. Some of us have multiple decades of experience putting systems together. If I sit down to listen, the only thing that is important is the sound coming out of the loudspeakers. I don't need to have my choices validated by data. Measurements are a semi-interesting side bar discussion at best. 

Stop feeding the ASR Trolls. 🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌 I know they like to eat 🪱 but please stop. Let it die. Doctor Dick er Cyndyment.

Stop feeding the ASR Trolls. 🧌🧌🧌🧌🧌 I know they like to eat 🪱 but please stop. Let it die. Doctor Dick er Cyndyment.

Sure, people dare voice views you don't share and they must be ignored and called "trolls."

And yet it's the ASR folks are called closed minded and "dogmatists."

Oh the ironing....

@russ69 The high-end market is very strong with more choices than we have ever had. There is a shift away from the brick and mortar business model but online and direct sales are booming! Business is good.  

I am pleased to know that your business in high-end audiophile gear is good.

I think that it is important for everyone to know this for future reference.