|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
65.42.74.201
In Reply to: Re: Subjective verses objective review discrepancy: the McCormack Audio UDP-1 Universal Player posted by jdaniel@jps.net on December 27, 2004 at 19:27:14:
My experience in 50 years of listening to stereo equipment, 15 years as a recording engineer and a degree in electrical engineering has convinced me that electrical measurements tell us almost nothing of how a piece of equipment will sound. Measurements are more of a tool in the design process then they are in evaluating equipment. Can't wait for the comments on this
Follow Ups:
finding the measurements of two components to be different, could, quite possibly, be indicative of the fact that the two might sound different. This I think is true all the way down to measuring the capacitance on two different pieces of wire.
I think you are correct. But the problem is making a connection between the measurement and the subjective sound of the component. For instance if amplifier A has lower harmonic distortion then amplifier B is there a sonic signature we can equate to that measurement. In my experience there isn't. I think the problem is that maybe we are measuring the wrong things. There could be some key measurements that do equate to sonic performance that we just havn't figured out yet.
Alan
Maybe the question you should be asking is what are we missing with the measurement techniques that are presently being used? It's what I have continually asked myself over the years.
The Ever Evil Doctor Steel
I think what we are missing is the dynamic transient nature of music coupled with how we hear versus elctronic measurements which are basically steady state. We then take these steady state measurements and try to extrapolate transient performance. It just doesn't seem to work. I have heard a lot of gear that measures poorly yet sounds quite wonderful to me. All solid state gear measures far superior to tube equipment yet I prefer the sound of tube gear over solid state. SACD's measure far superior to LP's but I prefer LP's. You can claim that reviewers as well as I don't know what we're talking about but I can just as easily claim that the objectivists have no real evidence that measurements can predict the sound of an audio component.
Alan
By the way Happy New Year to all
"I think what we are missing is the dynamic transient nature of music coupled with how we hear versus elctronic measurements which are basically steady state. "
I would recommend that you take a long look at loudspeaker performance in this area. They have tendency to make some of the most mediocre amps look great.
The Ever Evil Doctor Steel
Yes, but how come that we can nevertheless distinguish barely measurable differences with electronics when heard through sound transducers with their much poorer transient responses?
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: