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Nearly all manufacturers do not advertise/exhibit their product measurements? Why?

After my Audio Science Review review forum, it became apparent that nearly the only way one can determine the measurements of an audio product is wait for a review on line or in a publication.  Most equipment is never reviewed or is given a subjective analysis rather than a measurement oriented review.  One would think that manufacturers used tests and measurements to design and construct their products. 

Manufacturers routinely give the performance characteristics of their products as Specifications.  Those are not test measurements.

I searched the Revel speaker site for measurements of any of their speakers and could not find any.  Revels are universally lauded for their exceptional reviewed measurements.  Lack of published manufacturer measurements is true for nearly every speaker manufacturer I've searched for on line, perhaps several hundred.   Same is true for amps, pre-amps, DACs, transports, turntables, well you get the picture.  Do they have something to hide?   I doubt the good quality products have anything to hide but poor quality products do.  

ASR prides itself in providing "true" measurements that will aid in purchase decisions.   Why don't the manufacturers provide these measurements so that reviewers can test if they are truthful or not?

Then there are the cables and tweaks for which I suspect that there are inadequate tests available to measure sonically perceived differences but which objectivists believe don't exist or are "snake oil."  

Well, please chime in if you have some illuminating thoughts on the subject.   

I would have loved to see manufacturers measurements on my equipment and especially those that I rejected.  

fleschler
thespeakerdude
483 posts
 

@mastering92 , I could not have proven my point better, if I had written your post myself. If you are going to attempt to discredit someone online, including me, I would recommended what you write being accurate, supportable, and relevant. Making false claims about someone's career, questioning someone's equipment when it is among the best available, and then following up with a series of statements related to technical information, that are either not logical or not defensible is not a successful path. I have issues with some of the work ASR has done and I can clearly, concisely, accurately, and defensibly state it. I also recognize that does not negate piece of their work.

Post removed 
cd318
2,636 posts
 

@glatzj 

Some more good points raised in a thread that's threatening to go off the rails.

 

Without standardized test methods, test equipment, and multiple people doing the same testing (to minimize bias and error), meaningful comparisons between equipment are difficult to achieve.

Apparently Amir's Klippel diagnostics system is amongst the most advanced in the world.

Many of the standard tests seen on ASR are now being seen on other sites too.

 

Marketing people love to claim cherry-picked specifications to try to get an edge for sales purposes. 

Business is often a cut throat dog eat dog world where the slightest edge can mean the difference between survival and death.

We rarely get to hear some of the heartbreak stories of what happens behind the scenes.

However there is one infamous case that actually spilled over into public consciousness - the notorious Linn v Ariston legal battle.

 

 

I'd like to see key reviewer get together and agree on how they are going to collaboratively test audio components - but that is not likely to happen.

No, it's not. Reviewing is also a dog eat dog world. There's only room for so many.

Especially not since most of them are merely peddlers of the following point you raise.

 

Then there is the subjective measurement/opinion ......

OK, mostly only the purely subjective side.

And this is where ASR and their like come in.

mastering92
870 posts
 

The definition of "subjective" is misconstrued in audio. Intellectual honesty is required to find out the truth. 

bolong
652 posts
 

If you can't trust your ears, what makes you think you can trust measurements?

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