Agree or disagree with the following statement.

At some point, measurements will be telling, but usually I thinks it's a mistake to judge a product solely on its specs. It's usually a good idea to listen before reaching a conclusion.

In fact, I'd go a step further and say that - Even if you HAVE heard a component, it's tough to definitively have an opinion of how it sounds. System matching and ESPECIALLY room matching are critical.

You can look at specs and rule out a component for use in a given application - a mini monitor that's down 10db at 100hz probably won't do well in a 5,000 cubic foot room, but that doesn't mean that it sounds bad. A really poorly designed product (horrible on-axis response and power response in a loudspeaker, for instance) is probably a decent indicator that a product won't sound good in any application, but IME such products are pretty rare.

Ironic that the Tice Clock came up in this thread. I've never heard one but would have expressed an opinion on the product if asked. It's a product that begs to be summarily dismissed and that's what I'd have done instinctively. I bet a lot of other folks here share that opinion of the Clock despite never having heard one.

However, after this thread, I can no longer in good conscience state that the Clock is exhibit A in high-end lunacy, a heap of fraudulent BS demonstrating the incredible capacity of audiophiles to be suckered by ANYTHING, and the distilled essence of hucksterism at its absolute worst. In fairness, I can now only say that I'm "extremely sceptical" of the Clock's claimed benefits. Damn, this thread is making life less fun already.