The Audio Science Review (ASR) approach to reviewing wines.

“Among a myriad of other complaints, I simply don’t have any confidence that ASR as a publication knows good sound.”

ASR evaluates equipment based on objective criteria 

that has been found to predict certain aspects of sound quality.

The speakers forces are rated based on the type of measurements that have been shown Through rigourous scientific testing studies To be correlated

With the type of sound most listeners - That includes audiophiles and reviewers! -

Will rate most highly.

This may not be perfect, But I’m guessing they are on much stronger ground

Than you might be. 

What Do you claim to be “Good sound “ And why should someone agree with you?

Stereophile does measurements. You can look at it and also see what J.Atkinson says about the sound.

You can look at the asr guy’s measurements (graphs only) as well. But, scroll over anything else he squeals about because he has two lumps of turd in place of ears.

@prof 
-1. Ask the man who designed your speakers. 

This post was inspired by answering a question about power conditioners.

In reviewing the Puritan Audio PSM 156 on ASR, the author says "as always, we attempt to tease out the transfer function of the conditioner using normal audio level signals" and after many measurements with test signals concludes with "as you see, I have run a number of tests to give the PSM156 ample opportunity to show it can do something to improve audio but it can’t even move the dial one hair. There is no indication or logic that would tell us that it can make an audible improvement."

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/puritan-audio-psm156-review-ac-filter.26136/

It is important to note that at no point was it mentioned that music was played through a system with and without the PSM 156 in the circuit. I don’t spend my hours of relaxation listening to test signals - I listen to music.  The ASR review failed to assess the impact on music reproduction.

I also think there’s a little bit of Kool-Aid at play within ASR. There was a poll conducted in Reddit’s r/audiophile which asked the following:

You just purchased a MHDT Pagoda DAC that Amir from ASR said: “It goes without saying that I can’t recommend the MHDT Labs Pagoda stereo DAC whatsoever.”

It however sounds lovely in your system and more to your listening preferences. You’re truly smitten by this poor performing DAC.

What do you do?

1. Sell the DAC

2. Keep the DAC

62 subscribers to this subreddit would have kept this DAC while 20 would have sold the DAC.

Imagine selling a DAC that sounds great in your system simply because a guy, who if I remember correctly, measured this DAC, never listened in his review, and subsequently couldn’t recommend on his forum.