Agree or disagree with the following statement.


Trying to get some input on an issue that a few of us are debating.

Statement:

If you have never listened to any particular component, you can't have an opinion on how it sounds.

Answer:

I don't agree with that. Measurements provide a fairly good indication of how something will sound. That's the beauty of science -- it's not necessary to have first hand experience to make reasonable judgments. You likely disagree and that could be a difference in our background and education."

So, the issue at hand is, can tell how a component sounds without listening to it, and just go on specs? Or, do you have to listen to it, as well, because the specs don't tell the whole story?
zd542
Don't know if it's been mentioned here, but: "If you
haven't heard it: You have no opinion" is a quote from
Ivor Tiefenbrun, the founder of Linn Audio Products. Not
really that profound, but completely accurate! A blind
person
can have all the information extant, regarding the color
red(wavelength frequency & range, position in the
electromagnetic spectrum, most tomatoes and blood are red,
we
relate it to anger, sometimes means, "STOP," etc),
BUT- if they were born blind; they still have no idea what
it
looks like(zero Experiential Qualia) . No doubt, some
measurements are important, with
regard to choosing components to function properly, within
one's system, but- there have been many components that
tested
like gold, yet sounded like crap(and vice versa).
When you listen to a system, the overall sound and stage is build by all the different tools in your set togheter including the acoustic of the room.

Even by chancing one tool you can influence the overall sound and even the stage.
IMHO ,measurements,even good ones,are no indication that you will like the sound

That's all too true. I agree, Sunnyboy1956.
Measurements are facts.
Listening to a component enables you to form an opinion.
Forming an opinion from measurements is called a guess, a shot in the dark because you haven't actually heard a component.
Kind of reminds me of Japanese approach in the 70s and 80s, the better the specs the better the sound.
Look, how do you buy a TV? You go in the store and look at the picture of the ones in your budget. Then you pick the one you like. Why should audio be any different? Duh!