good luck with this one.
really! I wish you do figure it out, but the variables in this quest are innumerable.
the predominate issue is Audiophillia Nervousa is a self diagnosed disease.
as such, EVERYTHING then becomes purely the beholder’s viewpoint or assessment on every account.
in fact, the. variable factors extend farther than the equipment itself. one can have the exact same gear in one setting, remove it from that venue, transport it to some other home, or setting, in some other likely dissimilar room, and the results will probably be perceived differently. further, merely purchasing either a single piece, or even a ’turn key’ setup you have auditioned at a dealership, and put it into your own arrangement , and chances are it will sound different.
another separating issue is simply the fact few if any outfits will have identical pieces in tow. how then, can a proper account of how ABC aids or detracts from, any particular rig? or for that matter how good is the ABC gizmo on its own merits ever to be reviewed?
if the aforementioned items are not enough to frustrate this affair, add in our ears are not hearing things exactly the same way or as well, as other ears!
OK, then bring in the meters and micrometers. of course! but which meters? which rulers? which scales? how will this or that actually get measured?
then too, which words will. be used in surveying or appraising the thing? humans are barely able to communicate these days and suddenly we are all supposed to be crystal clear oh the piece, context, syntax, and findings?
synergy. is yet another factor which will ever detract from acquiring a status quo for quantifying performance in terms of gains and losses. its a proven fact, not everything ever made plays well with every other thing ever made.
I’m not even mentioning circumstances surrounding electrical power anomalies which vary from one installation to another. . that is another bag of worms all by itself.
in years past, telephones were in short supply. regularly, to talk to a friend or relative, you very often had to travel to their home. In so doing one experienced at least in one fashion, the ‘charm of distance’.
back then distance was often a desired boon for its yield was greater privacy.
privacy used to be highly valued, now everyone wants everyone else to know what they ate for breakfast, or where their cat coughed up a fur ball. and when.
in the often tail chasing hobby of higher end audio, the ‘charm’ lies in the preferences and perceptions of the one paying the bills to be the boss. his or her insights on individual items, or as an ensemble are the only views that matter.
the only rule of thumb I’ve discovered which generally points to performance, though not empirically, is simply the ‘cost of likewise goods’.
gear makers on average have been quite studious on pricing their products, mostly. subtracting those whose view points lend to them over valuing their equipment, tier pricing seems to equate to tier performance. IMHO
paying to get to some of these tiers of upper end performance can bring on many tears. gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands are other participants in the aftermath. especially if system synergy is not elevated from the alteration or addition of the newly arriving new bright and shiny gizmo
exactly where these supposed ‘tiers’ separations exist is yet one more facet that lends itself to the charm’ or chagrin, of this hobby.
bear in mind, the notation on the ‘self diagnosed’ theme.
charming, isn’t it?
