AUDIO SCIENCE REVIEW and $50 to spend.........

prof,

Just think of all the money you have saved.

ozzy

ASR is terrible. I liked it when ASR tried to get back at Danny from GR Research, totally fubar’d that. That’s how bad asr is. ASR has tried to bad mouth other brands that I personally like/own that are highly rated from other reviewers.

As for not hearing a difference in cables, you either don’t have a revealing system or you just can’t hear this kind of differences. I’ll bet I have heard a difference in almost 99% of the time that I have done cable shoot outs/Evals at home. I have even heard differences at ces/rmaf shows and at dealers. I’m also not saying that the difference you hear is better or worse. For example, I prefer the cables I use over Nordost Valhalla and they are 1/2 the price, but I do hear a difference. 

Sometimes they measure what is a great product.   The RME adi2 DAC was the darling of ASR until it's measurements were surpassed by some Chi Fi DAC which of course they loved.   I have a RME and it's a good DAC , no doubt.  

They would probably not give a favorable review on the DAC that replaced it, the excellent sounding LAB 12 DAC 1 Reference.    Most of today's gear measures pretty good, at least beyond the limits of human hearing, with low noise and distortion.    That's why ASR isn't doing you any favors.    Do you like how a component sounds ?   Then buy it.   Don't let what some internet site that only cares about specs sway your decisions.    My whole system is comprised of stuff they would and in some cases have ripped to shreds.   Yet it sounds great.

The Benchmark is a great piece that is everything it's advertised to be.   Again, another product that's measurements approach the limits of testing.   Show me one paragraph where they praised it's sound quality.   I bet you can't  because they are all about numbers.  

Yes, ASR is about numbers.And I think its consistent testing has a place as a means of comparison. However, I get that it is not a resource that is for everyone.

Numbers don't explain everything we hear/sense. Some day maybe we will be able to measure what is currently unexplainable. 

objective and subjective sources help me make informed decisions.