"The audiophile community ought to be devising new and more meaningful measurements that we could then use to better predict how gear will sound and how it will interact with other gear. It is not enough simply to say that measurements don't always correlate to sonic results---we need to focus on taking the right measurements."
Read more at A Future Without Feedback? Letters | Stereophile.com
Read more at A Future Without Feedback? Letters | Stereophile.com
My neighbor reads articles like this and then he comes to my shop and argues with me.
His latest claim is that my new preamp "must be digital" because "no analog circuit could ever be so hiss free." I designed it and built it from scratch. It is not digital, except for a few relays that are controlled by a microprocessor.
There's a reason that these stupid magazines print these moronic articles.
His latest claim is that my new preamp "must be digital" because "no analog circuit could ever be so hiss free." I designed it and built it from scratch. It is not digital, except for a few relays that are controlled by a microprocessor.
There's a reason that these stupid magazines print these moronic articles.
Indeed. Guitar amps are expected to color the sound. Rising (with frequency) output impedance makes guitar speakers sound peaky in the midrange. Guitarists love this. Various tone stacks distort the sound even more. And if that's not enough, there's all kinds of stomp boxes, and a whole lot of home made or custom built stomp boxes too.
It's part of the character of the instrument, just like the wood used to make a violin is part of the instrument.
I was taught electronics by a couple of guys from the 1950s hi fi craze. They built electronic circuits, and speakers too. But their ideas about speakers were wack. Both would pontificate about the timber of the speaker cabinet, the lovely resonances that mimicked the sound of a fine piano or upright bass, ad nauseum. Yuck! When I built my first air suspension speakers (around 1974) they were horrified! They had failed in teaching me! I didn't even use an oval midrange
! Even though they played so loud and so clear, they were just wrong.Even more horrifying was my first op amp preamplifier
! "Op amps belong in computers." But they had to admit that it was good when we used it to drive their home made (tube of course) power amps and speakers.
The article advertises non-scientific, emotional terms like "musicality" that require from the reader to believe in them, instead of seeking scientific evidence. If the reader does believe them, then no doubt he/she will hear the claimed difference, via the scientifically proven placebo effect.
In that case, both the customer and the maker will be happy (and when not, they can always blame the source) but the maker will enjoy real money paid for imaginary features, and will get away with far less R&D (as time+effort+skills =high cost) and an inferior product sold to the hypnotized customer at a premium, for its "special" features that science ...cannot measure.
Needless to say that "blind tests" behind closed doors and/or done improperly, are invalid by definition.
And BTW, too much blah-blah is a serious indication of lack of essence, meant to convince by brainwashing rather than with valid arguments (not surprisingly since their authors reject science), so such articles can only be enjoyed as fiction, not taken seriously.
I'm not surprised either, hearing many manufacturers (incl. Stax) referring to such terms in a serious tone, they obviously don't want to lose the customer base that is hypnotized by such "independent" authors. Personally, I would never do that in their position.
In that case, both the customer and the maker will be happy (and when not, they can always blame the source) but the maker will enjoy real money paid for imaginary features, and will get away with far less R&D (as time+effort+skills =high cost) and an inferior product sold to the hypnotized customer at a premium, for its "special" features that science ...cannot measure.
Needless to say that "blind tests" behind closed doors and/or done improperly, are invalid by definition.
And BTW, too much blah-blah is a serious indication of lack of essence, meant to convince by brainwashing rather than with valid arguments (not surprisingly since their authors reject science), so such articles can only be enjoyed as fiction, not taken seriously.
I'm not surprised either, hearing many manufacturers (incl. Stax) referring to such terms in a serious tone, they obviously don't want to lose the customer base that is hypnotized by such "independent" authors. Personally, I would never do that in their position.
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It's marketing. Engineers hate the marketing departments and all the bullhockey they sling.
On the other hand, the public has no idea what electronic engineers do. We could be doing sorcery and magic for all they know.
That's why I never get too deep into it with my neighbor. I tell him about my builds and sometimes he's incredulous. I just turn the volume up.
I consider him to be a valuable resource for my tests. He's spent thousands of dollars on audio equipment (he has everything Bo$e so he's got more money than brains) so he is a target demographic for sure. And his Bo$e system sounds shrill and garbled compared to my system. He's quite incredulous of what I've done with basically recycled parts and stuff from Digi Key. I think he still thinks I'm some kind of sorcerer.
On the other hand, the public has no idea what electronic engineers do. We could be doing sorcery and magic for all they know.
That's why I never get too deep into it with my neighbor. I tell him about my builds and sometimes he's incredulous. I just turn the volume up.
I consider him to be a valuable resource for my tests. He's spent thousands of dollars on audio equipment (he has everything Bo$e
so he's got more money than brains) so he is a target demographic for sure. And his Bo$e system sounds shrill and garbled compared to my system. He's quite incredulous of what I've done with basically recycled parts and stuff from Digi Key. I think he still thinks I'm some kind of sorcerer. Pretty much spot on for the last two replies.
For those who treat audio as a religion - you only need to believe, no actual scientific testing needed, there will never be enough BS. And the results of no test will ever trump their beliefs. Meanwhile there is massive evidence that the brain can be easily fooled.
Meanwhile scientific testing has taken us to space, given us sub atomic particles and theory and so much more. Just sad some think it can't possibly be used to get better amplifiers and such.
For those who treat audio as a religion - you only need to believe, no actual scientific testing needed, there will never be enough BS. And the results of no test will ever trump their beliefs. Meanwhile there is massive evidence that the brain can be easily fooled.
Meanwhile scientific testing has taken us to space, given us sub atomic particles and theory and so much more. Just sad some think it can't possibly be used to get better amplifiers and such.
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