ACTUAL MUSICAL SOUND VS. MEASUREMENTS


Is it just me or am I the only one that has had it with overly pushy audiophiles that push measurements as the end all be all. I’m not talking about healthy discussions on measurements but obnoxious ones that talk down to you because of the measurements of your system or equipment is not perfect for them? All cables and cords are snake oil to them if it doesn’t register on their meters? Am I the only that feels this way? 

calvinj

A few years ago I was researching a power conditioner and Google brought me to a detailed online review that was based on all sorts of measurements followed by a detailed explanation of why it could not possibly do what the manufacturer claimed it could do.  I went through the review again because I though I had missed the part of the review that told you what effect it had on the sound of his audio system - but the reviewer skipped that seemingly critical aspect of reviewing that audio component.  I was somewhat perplexed to say the least.  That was my introduction to ASR.

 

@toronto416 exactly. Some of these reviewers and guys that don’t actually try something in their systems are absolutely nuts to me.  We actually had a power conditioner negatively affect our system but actually help another system in another room.  It just depends. It actually happened at a show and the audiophile junkie did a whole infigo video on it.  

I've been at the hobby for a long time. I am, with a builder, building what we hope will be the finest sounding horn audio system for private listening room pleasure. To me, it's always been a A/Bing of things and yes the measurement world is critical to us. That said, on many occasions the particular part being tested looked great to the computer but a different part which did NOT test as accurately "sounded" to us a lot better. I wouldn't be caught dead without software BUT, we will always trust our ears first; period end stop. Also, I for one, if all I had were my hand held transistor radio from the early sixties, I'd be fine listening to Cousin Brucey and the like as music is the gift and I'd be just fine. How we hear our music should be entirely up to the listener. IMHO

@jettyfat2323 you make a lot of great points. Sometimes the measurements are not ear pleasing.  In a lot of situations. 

@2psyop 

There are some tribal people today (I think) who make music and don’t read or write and have not heard of notes on a page

Paul McCartney for example? He often says he had to write memorable music, not because it had to be memorable, but because he had to remember it (not being able to read or write music himself!)