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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
dave_72
1,399 posts
 
IMHO ,measurements,even good ones,are no indication that you will like the sound

That's all too true. I agree, Sunnyboy1956.
magnumpi205
504 posts
 
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.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
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!
macrojack
1,303 posts
 
Would you marry a woman based solely on her specs? If you did, It would almost certainly be a brief and costly experience. Audio components are a little easier to get rid of but the sting could be just as bad. It's your money though, so fie away.
daniele_g
81 posts
 
I've not read the whole thread, so I may be off topic now or repeat what has already been written, sorry in case.

I think specs can give us an idea on 'how it sounds' but just an idea, a hint. That's due to several reasons, going from the reliability and completeness of the specs to one's capability of fully understand the specs themselves, and passing through a nebulosa of factors I don't now but which may give a 'model' its peculiar voice(employed materials, constructive solutions, proprietary patents not unveiled yet... a factor I could call undeclared specs) .

A skilled technician or a competent hifi enthusiast may guess much of the sound of a system by just reading the specs of all the components; I can't believe, though, that he could EXACTLY and COMPLETELY imagine (like hearing in his mind) the sound in all it's shades, subtelties, the exact amount of crispiness, of slam, dynamics, harshness...
and nuances and subtle differences are often what this is all about.
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