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Propeller Head Plaza Technical and scientific discussion of amps, cables and other topics. |
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Propeller Head Plaza Technical and scientific discussion of amps, cables and other topics. |
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In Reply to: I really think Jon showed his true colors this time. posted by Tony Montana on July 29, 2003 at 14:47:50:
So what he is saying is that high end audio designers rather sacrifice performance (low THD and distortion) over sonic quality if it sound better to them. I would call such a designer an artist rather than audio engineer.Why's that? How does being an artist somehow preclude one from being an engineer? What is an engineer but one who uses their knowledge and skill to design something to suit a particular purpose? Why should an engineer be any less an engineer just because the particular purpose in question is ultimately one's own subjective satisfaction? Where is it carved in stone that engineering is to serve purely utilitarian, objective goals?
Take a look at something like the Brooklyn Bridge. While it serves as a bridge, it also has an aesthetic. Would you say that James Roebling was an artist and not an engineer?
If we choose sonic quality over performance and specifications, then one will never hear the "true" sound of music that was meant to be heard. Rather, you will hear music as an interpretation of somebody else's (designer) senses, and for all we know, the designer might be deaf in one ear and can't hear out the other
But it's pretty much ALL subjective when you get right down to it. From the instrument maker, to the musician, to the conductor, to the producer, the recording engineer, to the mastering engineer, etc.
You have the subjective fingerprints of everyone involved in the process all the way down the line. Why should the audio designer or the end user be left out? Why should there be subjectivity all down the line but the designer and the end user are expected to be slaves to some objective goal which will not necessarily result in the best subjective pleasure in the end?
Why should designing toward subjective pleasure be any less laudable than designing toward objective perfection? What else possibly matters at the end of the day but our own subjective pleasure? Does our audio equipment serve us, or do we serve it?
se
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Follow Ups
- Re: I really think Jon showed his true colors this time. - Steve Eddy 17:53:38 07/29/03 (2)
- You got to have a good foundation to build on. - Tony Montana 21:34:55 07/29/03 (1)
- Re: You got to have a good foundation to build on. - Steve Eddy 00:06:36 07/30/03 (0)
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