I think we often misinterpret measurements; measurements are measurements regardless of ones biases on liking the equipment in question. For example, a speaker’s frequency response can tell you if a speaker will sound flat, or neutral or bright regardless of what you may like. Amir has demonstrated that some highly regarded amps measured not so well when compared to lower cost ones, does date mean the lower cost sounds better? I would argue that yes and no. The higher costly amp that measured not favorable is what probably makes it more appealing when listening due to the inherent or added distortion by design when listening. Just like tube amps that measured poorly when compared to solid state but that distortion from tubes is what attracts us. So, in away Amir has not changed my mind but has brought awareness when looking at a product.
Did Amir Change Your Mind About Anything?
It’s easy to make snide remarks like “yes- I do the opposite of what he says.” And in some respects I agree, but if you do that, this is just going to be taken down. So I’m asking a serious question. Has ASR actually changed your opinion on anything? For me, I would say 2 things. I am a conservatory-trained musician and I do trust my ears. But ASR has reminded me to double check my opinions on a piece of gear to make sure I’m not imagining improvements. Not to get into double blind testing, but just to keep in mind that the brain can be fooled and make doubly sure that I’m hearing what I think I’m hearing. The second is power conditioning. I went from an expensive box back to my wiremold and I really don’t think I can hear a difference. I think that now that I understand the engineering behind AC use in an audio component, I am not convinced that power conditioning affects the component output. I think.
So please resist the urge to pile on. I think this could be a worthwhile discussion if that’s possible anymore. I hope it is.