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Re: I'm just not sure about one thing

The NRC measurements are probably the most accurate available to me and they work pretty well for me. They are a useful screening tool, and I see absolutely no reason to consider speakers that don't measure reasonably well. Such speakers don't sound good to me. Measurements are a tool and I fail to see anything obsessive about that.

As I've sometimes said before, the kind of measurements available to me can tell me what speakers not to get but they can't tell me which ones to buy.

Let's look at the factors you propose:

-Transparency: a piece of optical imagery, not really very clear in its application to audio. Some mean sonic invisibility, in which respect the S2 is excellent. Otherwise, this must require an even FR.

-coherency (including the time domain): God knows what you mean by coherency. Time and phase coherence do not seem to be that important in speakers save as they affect the FR. In any case, the S2 is subjectively very quick, and I have owned Quad ESL-63's, but they don't really fit our room acoustics very well. The S2's sound better here.

-low level resolution: I wonder whether people who use such jargon have any idea what they are talking about.

-dynamics: this usually refers to punch in the bass. Anyway, I listen well within the dynamic limits of my speakers.

-freedom from compression: Soundstage has begun to measure this and even an inexpensive PSB speaker seems to do well in this respect.

-low coloration: And you were denigrating the importance of even frequency response? GMAB But of course, the dispersion counts, too, not merely the on axis response.

-and low distortion: well, Soundstage has measured this for quite a while and the S2 does pretty well.

-Resolution is something you also mention: it's also an optical image whose applicability to audio is again not too clear. I suppose it means one can hear what's on the recording.

"Gear differences become so obvious that you wonder why others even argue about it."

Gee, I want to listen to music, not gear differences.
____________________________________________________________
"Nature loves to hide."
---Heraclitus of Ephesus (trans. Wheelwright)


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