mapman
"Only after good ear cleaning of course." As Chandler said to Joey, "Stop the Q-tip when you feel resistance."
True or False?
The following is a common sentiment from some who claim to be audiophiles.
If you hear something but can’t measure it, you only think you heard a difference.
This notion is also common among people who claim to possess an accomplished understanding of audio, especially when achieving a high level of performance for a minimal investment.
So who’s right? On the one hand we have Objectivists who claim if you can’t measure it, you can’t possibly hear it or if you do, its expectation bias and self delusion. Are these people correct? Do they get as good as a sound, or better for far less money by ignoring cables, power cords, mechanical isolation, basically any accessory that many have found to dramatically improve performance despite a lack measurements? Do those who dismiss expensive digital to analog converters as being no better than rather common digital components with decent measurements get just as high a performance level as those of us with MSB and DCS? Do people who claim it’s all about finding perfect speaker placement, do these people outperform those of us with systems that cost multiples more than what they pay (Who also pay close attention to speaker placement as well as everything else)? Or do those of us who pay attention to cables— digital, analog, and power, what we set our components on top of, how we place our speakers, acoustics, and tweaks, expensive DACs and the like, do we get better sound? Who’s right? And how do we ultimately determine sound quality?
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- 106 posts total
Than do you ignore power cords, digital cables, isolation platforms and the like? If so, you can’t possibly have a high-performance stereo by modern standards. Modern high-performance audio take cables and other factors that affect sound into account, and this is the main reason why we have a significant increase in fidelity over the past 20 years. |
“Than do you ignore power cords, digital cables, isolation platforms and the like? If so, you can’t possibly have a high-performance stereo by modern standards.” I ignore power cords, digital cables, high priced interconnects, high priced speaker cables, magic fuses,etc. I don’t believe that they would provide ANY audible improvements in my system. I don’t really care whether you think that means it isn’t “a high performance stereo”. You trust your ears, I’ll trust mine. |
@raysmtb1 + 1. Agreed foolish to spend as much on a power cable as you did on a component. Like what was said in another thread maybe this one. Put Michelin Race Pilots on a Nissan Lief….what’s the point? |
I hope I am not off the point. I do use many measurements to decide if I am interested in a product. For example: Speaker impedance, sensitivity. Amps- power rated into 4 ohm/ 8ohm. And cables I look to see what they consist of. How they are made. There is a thread going now on Audiogon that describes $5000 cables as the holy grail. Yet it is made from copper wire sleeved into cotton and finished off with cheaper connectors. Yet poster's claim it sounds fantastic. To me it is a nonstarter but if I could actually hear them then perhaps my impression would change. Is there new technology used? I admire those who think outside the box and come up with creative, innovative items. Once I zero in on those perimeters then I use my ears/ mind to decide. ozzy |
- 106 posts total