A Question About Reviewer Techniques

The author of the thread has a point and I try to demo equipment with other equipment deemed to be synergistic by the manufacturer (particularly because most brick and mortar shops in my experience no longer care about two-channel equipment and do little toward careful set up).

Regarding reviews, it is important for readers to know that they are subjective because there are few if any constants - different ears listening to different equipment in different rooms with different levels of room treatment, different A/C power supplies and different music - scientific the process is not. In light of this, it helps to have familiarity with the various reviewers' respective systems, listening preferences and biases. I think many reviewers are conscientious and I do not intend to disparage anyone, but the only thing I tend to take seriously is Atkinson's measurements.

I wouldn't consider any audio magazine review as "authoritative". Audio magazines are businesses. They make money by selling ad spaces. Their prime objectives are to convince manufacturers to place ads and to promote "high end" to as many people as possible so that they can charge more for the ads. Have you noticed that most of the reviews read like promotional material from marketing department? So keep that in mind when you read them. And no matter what you do, never buy equipment based on reviews alone.

All is solved, system synergy requires the manufacturer to send their component and all other parts, cables too, they want to be used to the review. This way, the system is reviewed. Now, if the manufacturer could just send the 'room' and all its furnishings and treatments, we would have perfect reviews, forever.

Raquel, Atkinson's measurements serve some purpose, maybe for an engineer, but the measurements don't necessarily guarantee or translate into good or bad sound.

Cyclonicman:

Among other things, speaker measurements indicate voltage sensitivity and impedance / phase angles so I know whether my amps will drive a speaker. Information about cabinet vibrations and frequency response plots tell me if the speaker may be overly colored. Frequency response plots also tell me whether a speaker's bass performance may excite room modes in my room. Measurements of tweeter dispersion tell me whether a speaker has to be listened to on the tweeter axis in order to get even high-frequency response. The waterfall plot can reveal a dirty tweeter. Etc., etc.

With amps, measurements reveal actual input impedance so a person can know whether the amp, when used with his/her preamp, will have bass rolloff issues. Wattage measurements into varying impedances reveal whether the amp can drive low impedance speakers (which is most speakers). Amp measurements usually include discussion of whether the circuit uses feedback and if yes, where in the circuit feedback is used.

Preamp measurements tell me whether a preamp's voltage gain is so high as to limit the useful range of its volume control (one of my amps is unusually sensitive and can be driven to high output with little gain from preamps featuring high gain). Preamp measurements also show output impedances at various frequencies, again allowing me to see whether there may be mismatches with my amps.

In short, measurements can be very helpful and speak directly to performance in your system if you know what to look for.

Regarding your other comments, I'm not aware of a manufacturer of $2k-level speakers pushing their use with $20k speaker cables - I'm not saying that the practice doesn't exist, but it doesn't make sense. I do, however, know of speaker manufacturers that speak well of specific cabling due to perceived synergies (e.g., Wilson likes Transparent and uses it inside their speakers). This is a common practice and good business to the extent that equipment/cable synergies are crucial to top performance.