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


Imagine doing a wine review as follows - samples of wines are assessed by a reviewer who measures multiple variables including light transmission, specific gravity, residual sugar, salinity, boiling point etc.  These tests are repeated while playing test tones through the samples at different frequencies.

The results are compiled and the winner selected based on those measurements and the reviewer concludes that the other wines can't possibly be as good based on their measured results.  

At no point does the reviewer assess the bouquet of the wine nor taste it.  He relies on the science of measured results and not the decidedly unscientific subjective experience of smell and taste.

That is the ASR approach to audio - drinking Kool Aid, not wine.

toronto416

Erin has stated he cannot hear a difference between amplifiers, does not mean there’s no difference.

@samureyex 

Only an imbecile would state that they cannot hear a difference between amplifiers, and Erin is not an imbecile. It is therefore doubtful that Erin actually said that, unless of course you can provide a link. Thanks

 

@samureyex I agree with you that there are differences. The question is, do they matter? Are they audible? In any scientific test, the null hypothesis is no difference. So the burden or proof is with those who think there is a difference. If you think there is something to cables that is not measurable, then show it with a controlled double blind test of listeners.My preliminary data with vastly different cables and one listener is that there is no difference. Doing a pilot study with something that should show something is the typical way to start a project. If AWG14 vs 5–6 does not show a difference, that is a good indication that there will be none with other cables either, at least for this listener (inductive reasoning).

@knownothing Re the name, if that is your hangup. As I said ASR is *more* scientific than TAS and SPh etc. combined. ASR certainly provides novel data with measurements that are objective and repeatable. Re NSF, a good chunk of science is done without grant support. Neither of my two NSF grants had anything to do with hypothesis testing (one MRI, one TCN, both in DEB).

@oberoniaomnia Regarding cables, all you need to know is the capacitance, the inductance, the purity, and the quality of the terminal connectors, and the method in which the wire is meld with the connector. You think these things, on an individual level and as a whole don’t matter to the sound? That’s a tough pill to swallow.

Silver is 6% faster than copper, you think that doesn’t change the sound?

@devinplombier I have evidence, straight from Erin’s mouth that clearly stated he cannot hear a difference between any neutral sounding amplifier. Imbecile or not. I am not surprised. At least Erin has the balls to admit it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5KfafDpXvQ&t=5s

It is in this video. Forgive me I forgot the exact timestamp. He stated the only reason he heard a difference between said tube amp vs his neutral amplifier was because the tube amp was not neutral. He also stated he cannot hear a difference between 2 neutral amplifiers. As we all know, an amplifier contributes to the sound much more than how neutral or not neutral it is. And if said reviewer only relies on the neutrality to spot a difference, well that's bad. But at least he admits his limit which I can respect.

@decooney 

"It only matters to those who can hear a difference. "

 

This is actually quite profound.