Law of Accelerating Returns

From the article:

The second reason why The Law of Accelerating Returns applies to an audio system is something Meridian Audio co-founder Bob Stuart calls The Increasing Importance of the Smaller Difference. He posits that humans are naturally inclined to make very fine discriminations, such as differences between two champion dogs of the same breed. Dog aficionados aren’t interested in the differences between dogs and cats, or between different breeds of dogs, or even between mediocre and stellar examples of the same breed, but they are fascinated by the very finest differences among the breed’s elite dogs, some of which are invisible to the untrained eye. The smaller the difference, the greater that difference’s importance to those who care about such things.

I think he's making a valid factual observation, but I also think that the observation does not support the stated conclusion.

I would put it that as reproduced sound more closely approaches the sound of live music, two things occur:

1)Small differences become more perceivable.

2)Perceived differences become more important.

I think that both of these points can be illustrated by considering the situation of two components or systems being compared while using a terrible sounding recording, and then while using a great sounding recording. With the first recording, Garbage A may sound different than Garbage B, but who cares? With the high quality recording, though, differences between the components or systems are likely to be both more perceivable and more important.

None of that means, however, that “the smaller the difference, the greater that difference’s importance to those who care about such things.”

Regards,
-- Al

The article begins with a false premise that the cost of audio equipment is directly related to its quality. Part of the joy is finding products that are fantastic values. At the lower end of audiophile equipment I think finding an objective sonic improvement that the vast majority can agree on is far more likely than with the extreme high end where I think it is more about preference and differences than objective undisputed differences.

I think he has a point to be considered, but is something that is more in parallel than at odds with the law of deminishing returns. They are not mutually exclusive ideas.

"10-04-14: Onhwy61
I don't live in the reality that audio reviewer live in. It's important to remember that TAS is a magazine that has taken to calling $15,000 power amplifiers and $18,000 loudspeakers "bargains". There was a time when the magazine didn't have to resort to obscure and convoluted reasoning to justify what its writers heard."

I don't see what the big deal is about that. The main purpose of the magazine is to review and discuss high end/expensive audio gear. Its to be expected that they review these type of components. As far as calling 15k amps and 18k speakers a bargain, why not consider taking it a face value? The comment may be valid. For example, I think the Vandersteen Model 5 is a very good value when compared to speakers that are far more expensive like Wilson and Avalon. Its all relative.

Hey that's a pretty good argument for buying more audio stuff. Let me try it on my wife and report back.

I am not sure Zeno would approve of this but if one's system is 90% then a 5% improvement from that starting point would put it at 90.5

Please check my math, it was never my strongest subject in school.