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Nearly all manufacturers do not advertise/exhibit their product measurements? Why?

After my Audio Science Review review forum, it became apparent that nearly the only way one can determine the measurements of an audio product is wait for a review on line or in a publication.  Most equipment is never reviewed or is given a subjective analysis rather than a measurement oriented review.  One would think that manufacturers used tests and measurements to design and construct their products. 

Manufacturers routinely give the performance characteristics of their products as Specifications.  Those are not test measurements.

I searched the Revel speaker site for measurements of any of their speakers and could not find any.  Revels are universally lauded for their exceptional reviewed measurements.  Lack of published manufacturer measurements is true for nearly every speaker manufacturer I've searched for on line, perhaps several hundred.   Same is true for amps, pre-amps, DACs, transports, turntables, well you get the picture.  Do they have something to hide?   I doubt the good quality products have anything to hide but poor quality products do.  

ASR prides itself in providing "true" measurements that will aid in purchase decisions.   Why don't the manufacturers provide these measurements so that reviewers can test if they are truthful or not?

Then there are the cables and tweaks for which I suspect that there are inadequate tests available to measure sonically perceived differences but which objectivists believe don't exist or are "snake oil."  

Well, please chime in if you have some illuminating thoughts on the subject.   

I would have loved to see manufacturers measurements on my equipment and especially those that I rejected.  

fleschler
sokogear
1,056 posts
 

Specs are meant for appliances. Look to Consumer Reports for reviews. They should be used as a guideline at best and viewed with a critical eye because specs can be measured under different conditions that may not even be mentioned.

4krowme's avatar
4krowme
542 posts
 

Just tonight, I was attempting to find out a few basic answers for a driver. The translation was so poor, that I will just look elsewhere. No need to bother those who cannot simply provide basic specs. To be clear, the specs were provided in such a way that you had to know that the typos actually meant watts instead of ohms, for example. After a long list of errors, i had to ask myself why I bother. There is a mountain of other choices to narrow down for the design to start with.

noske
783 posts
 

@ebm 

Because nobody cares much.

And that's the way the manufacturers and the vested interests on this forum want this situation to remain. 

They are going all out to discredit outfits which conduct careful measurements, its pretty obvious even to blind freddy.

overthemoon
402 posts
 

The reason is likely based on manufacturer- ultimately because the customer that buys there stuff doesn’t care if they aren’t publishing measurements. 
 

People often make emotional decisions then justify with facts. Rarely the other way around. Think about your significant other or best friend- there qualities were something you learn over time and something about them impressed you enough to follow up from your first discussion. 

noske
783 posts
 

@overthemoon

The reason is likely based on manufacturer- ultimately because the customer that buys there stuff doesn’t care if they aren’t publishing measurements.

This is also quite correct and you share a truth.

What is missing from this truth is the analysis that it is the marginal customer, the one who questions the price, quality, whatever, and ends up buying it, is the one who determines what everyone else who don’t care, get.

Without going into handwaving, this is true of any freely traded commodity or service.  Some people call it supply and demand.  Do they explain exactly what that means?

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