Law of Accelerating Returns


Notwithstanding this coming from the pen of Robert Harley, I think there's a good point being made here. There are many threads here dealing with the law of diminishing returns. However, I think the way Harley puts it is perhaps more applicable to our hobby - the smaller the differences, the more important they are to those who care about such things. Read it - it's only one page.
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/from-the-editor-the-law-of-accelerating-returns/
chayro

Showing 2 responses by mceljo

The article begins with a false premise that the cost of audio equipment is directly related to its quality. Part of the joy is finding products that are fantastic values. At the lower end of audiophile equipment I think finding an objective sonic improvement that the vast majority can agree on is far more likely than with the extreme high end where I think it is more about preference and differences than objective undisputed differences.

I think he has a point to be considered, but is something that is more in parallel than at odds with the law of deminishing returns. They are not mutually exclusive ideas.
Sounds_real_audio - the math depends on if the 5% improvement is relative to a perfect standard (100%) or the current level of performance (90%). The total in one case is 95% and in the other it is only 94.5%!