Pleasurably better, not measurably better

I cringe when the word “accuracy” is introduced. The conversation tends to head towards simplistic measurements and goes off the rails.

For me, I need the gestalt right… conversations about accuracy tend to go to a few single measurements that completely miss the point. I have been a scientist and technologist for all of my life and when coming to carefully reasoned and logical conclusion based on all sorts of detailed data, I always ask my team, “does this pass the laugh test?”… if you look at the question… and the conclusion… does it make you break out laughing? As in, that is ridiculous! If so, go back to the drawing board, because there is something wrong with your premises. Ultimately science is about observation, then postulating possible causes and relationships, and if your theory doesn’t fit reality… it is wrong.

Anyway. Bring up accuracy, and typically over-simplified models of the world seem to get proposed and the whole conversation seems to go off the rails. So, I try to stay away from the word. I feel my system captures the gestalt of a musical performance… but I suspect measuring some simple parameters might say otherwise.

@hilde45 

I like the food analogy. Consider predicting how people will react to a dish by measuring the pH, thickness, saltiness, sweetness. Characterizing the food by single parameters is almost hopeless.  So you have the characteristics of a mixture and peoples values compounding the problem.

“Get your measurements perfect and you will have perfect sound.”

Sure… if you have them all. The problem is the measurement problem is so oversimplified… it does not come close to characterizing sound as heard. It is like using stick figures to describe a person running across a field… you are only getting the gist.

Good post.

This is probably a good way to look at it. Described as the accelerating return only creates controversy. I have been thinking about this as of late.

Looking at my enjoyment, it increases with greater sound quality… a lot. So, for instance I will not listen to a $10 radio… I will listen to a $2K system… but not realy enjoy it, but I start getting into it say, at $10K (I am using $ as a proxy for sound quality… let’s not get side tracked). My enjoyment increases with greater sound quality, faster than cost. Hence, my lifelong commitment to better system… the better… by far giving me greater and greater enjoyment.

I tried an elemental plot (overly simplified for folks that don’t look at charts daily.

the point is, for audiophiles, pleasure increases rapidly and continues to increase faster than cost.