I had to weigh in as this is too hard to resist.
ASR could not be MORE MISLEADING if they tried.
The information may be interesting to some, but it is USELESS as far as how realistic music reproduction will sound. The guys at ASR are not even Music people, they are uptight tweak heads that sit inside all day on test equipment. They have no place talking about music gear when they should be data analysts. They dont listen to music for Chrissakes... and talk smack about gear based on their own brand of measurement.
I know several KILLER pieces of gear they have trash talked that are some of the best out there. So clearly some of the gear that measures worst in their tests is some of the most endeared Audiophile pieces. Like the Truth Preamp someone mentioned. HIGH LEVEL AUDIOPHILE gear at a great price, and they trash talk it. Total Imbeciles. Like Jeff Rowland Model 125 Amplifier. Absolutely kills the $3500 competition, but they smack talk it. Ive personally sold 14 of them with a Bona Fide return policy, instead of returns the buyers buy a second piece and bridge them as monos. So take what they say as guys that know nothing about music and think good spec equals good sound (Read: FOOLS)
If they are so smart and good at what they do, why dont they have a room at the HiFi show to show us all how "Great" they are at picking gear ?? They cant because they are HORRIBLE at picking gear. Because they think measurement equals happiness... NOT.
Take for instance imaging. If you are half an Audiophile you know that some gear images and some does not. With the same signal.. No different. If you think the same measured signal on 2 pieces of gear means they will sound the same, you have been stupefied. (Made stupid)
If we follow the thought patterns of the ASR Clowns, then there would be a perfect mathematical calculation and resulting math for "great sound". Then everybody would just follow that equation and everything would sound great all the time. Well let me break fact down for the ASR Believers. There is NO mathematical formula for good sound. And its most certainly not the marketed audio spec. Spec gives you a rough approximation if this is the gear that will match what you have, not how good or bad it will sound.
If you think measurement can tell you how it sounds then tell me:
What measurement is used for depth of Soundstage ?
What measurement is used for Tonal Density ?
What measurement is used for level of Realism ?
What measurement is used for level of Emotional Engagement ?
What measurement is used to gauge Sonic Trigger of Analysis for recorded music ?
LOL< ASR is a ridiculous parody of what makes audiophiles chase their tail for eons. SPEC WAR.... holy buckets people... didnt you learn this with Contrast Ratio ?? Its meant to wrap you up into B.S. Spec that means NOTHING compared to listening.
Finally, this has NOTHING to do with COST of gear. Spec does NOT help you save money... LOL, that’s preposterous ! I would argue it helps you WASTE money since you’ll buy a good spec number and then teach yourself that the soul-less . sterile, perfect measured, glistening shiny music is in fact good sound... ITS NOT !! its the biggest LIE in HiFi... that good spec equals good sound... Wow....
Do you believe "if it cant be measured it does not exist" ? Then what about LOVE ??? (Dont say oxytocin.. get real)