stereo system evaluation--objective or subjective

Also, if you had a system that measured flat +/- 0.5dB 20Hz to 20kHz it would sound unbearably bright and unlistenable to the vast majority of audiophiles and music lovers.

Why? Do you suggest that live concerts (20Hz-20kHz +/-0dB) sound unbearably bright?

Plato, There are many speakers that measure pretty flat to 20kHz and are not bright at all. Many headphones have flat response to 20kHz without "unbearable" brightness. Frequency response is not a very good indicator of the sound since it doesn't show phase shift, affecting summing of harmonics, or effects of Transient Intermodulation that can produce a lot of odd harmonics responsible for system brightness. There are also tweeter's distortions at its lower end or 8-11kHz where sibilants are. It is very complex issue and frequency response alone is not the best indicator of the sound. I cannot even hear above 16kHz where my speakers measure in the room with CD test tones at about the same level as at 1kHz (Radio Shack meter at listening position facing straight between speakers, response corrected)

Plato,

Saying that I argue for sake of arguing is rude, therefore I don't care to discuss anything with you either.

Geoffkait,

That's true, but evaluating TV picture is not that simple. Where it comes to sharp/soft or cold/warm static picture anybody can see it right away, but when the same picture looks very different at 240Hz refresh rate it become complex. My TV has this ability and I hate it. Everything looks like home video made. Somebody must love it, otherwise they wouldn't sell it. I also remember TV set that was sharpening slowly when picture got still (faces). It looked very weird in the store but customer I talked to couldn't see it. My Samsung LED TV has edge lighting that supposed to be very uneven - I cannot see that. My TV picture is almost perfect to me but some people, I talked to, believe that analog technology was better. Sound is perhaps even more complex.

Mrtennis,

The answer is no. Technical measurements are objective but often gear that measures best sounds the worst.