Recent MOFI debacle


As a newbie I don't wish to discuss a topic that has been covered hugely in the past few weeks.  My question relates to a statement from the Mobile Fidelity website which states "GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system can unveil sonic information all the way up to 122kHz!".  My understanding is that the average human ear can hear up to around 22 kHz, and my pet dog around double that figure.  What is the relevance to a frequency that even a bat would struggle to hear?  Am I missing the point on something here. If yes, please let me know :-)

markwatson

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. 

With absolute respect, I am still struggling to understand the 122 kHz bit in your answer i.e. "dynamic range that is beyond human hearing adds to the brains perception of the music"?  Surely our brains are stimulated by a variety of sensory inputs such as sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing that are then converted into electrical impulses for the brain to process?  If our hearing is physically limited to 22 kHz, how can our brain receive and process signals beyond this human limit?  Again, I'm not wishing to seem pedantic, I'm still not understanding?

Companies that serve the audiophile community test their recordings and equipment with devices that produce specs beyond what audiophiles should be able to perceive.

However, if recordings contain frequencies beyond the limit of human hearing, record companies that produce records for audiophiles feel that fact will be perceived positively by audiophiles and advertise it. Same for amps that advertise distortion numbers well below what we can perceive.

Audiophiles like their equipment overbuilt. So citing specs that are outside the bounds of human perception or need is not uncommon. Speakers that can handle power up to 500 watts when 100 watts will blow you out of the room is another example. Installing two dedicated 20 amp circuits for your stereo when it will never need that much power is another.

I’m not criticizing these practices, just using them as examples.

Thank you so much for that answer. So in essence what you are suggesting is extreme over-engineering. Not a bad thing, but unlikely to be of much use to the 'average Joe'? Thanks again 👍