AVS tests measurements. It test well or it doesn’t - facts are facts. Good info but not the final decision for art or what a person likes. Some people like paintings that are hyper detailed (like a photo), some like impressionist paintings, which are a bit ’blurred’. I feel music is the same. Some like very detailed, some like a softer sound. Like any art form, the key is to make yourself happy. I think both are important when comparing equipment. For example, if you like a speakers particular 'sound' then you may want neutral DAC/AMP to not color the sound of the speaker you like. Likewise, if a speaker is a bit to crisp, then an amp with a bit of softness to it may be just what you need. Testing can help us get on the right path.
I don't want to beat a dead horse but I'm bugged.
I just can't clear my head of this. I don't want to start a measurements vs listening war and I'd appreciate it if you guys don't, but I bought a Rogue Sphinx V3 as some of you may remember and have been enjoying it quite a bit. So, I head over to AVS and read Amir's review and he just rips it apart. But that's OK, measurements are measurements, that is not what bugs me. I learned in the early 70s that distortion numbers, etc, may not be that important to me. Then I read that he didn't even bother listening to the darn thing. That is what really bugs me. If something measures so poorly, wouldn't you want to correlate the measurements with what you hear? Do people still buy gear on measurements alone? I learned that can be a big mistake. I just don't get it, never have. Can anybody provide some insight to why some people are stuck on audio measurements? Help me package that so I can at least understand what they are thinking without dismissing them completely as a bunch of mislead sheep.