your analogy breaks down rather quickly, as several people have noted already. Blind tasting is central to wine judging. Has been always will be. Professional sommeliers, are tested and accredited using this method. Winemaking is totally supported by science and in turn has invested heavily in research. you can get a degree in oenology from prestigious, land-grant universities in the US. The wine industry knows very precisely what makes a good wine and how to measure it. The trick is in producing it, and that in a large part is due to weather and its variability. of course, like hi-fi, there is the marketing and the wordsmithing, and the romance, which is essential to the enterprise. Without the Romance of wine it becomes just another form of alcohol, which is a known carcinogen, muscle toxin , and intoxicant. We know these things too also courtesy of science. so, I think you will agree there are large and very significant differences between the very large wine industry, and the rather small industry around hi-fi.
Why Are We Breaking Our Brains?
A master sommelier takes a sip of red wine, swishes it around a bit, pauses, ponders, and then announces: “…. It’s from a mountainous region … probably Argentina … Catena Zapata Argentina Malbec 2020.” Another sommelier at a fine eating establishment in a major city is asked: “What would you pair with shrimp?” The sommelier hesitates for a moment then asks the diners: “What shrimp dish are you ordering?” The sommelier knows the pairing depends on whether the shrimp is briny, crisp, sweet, or meaty. Or some other “house specialty” not mentioned here. The sommelier can probably give good examples of $10 wines and bad examples of $100 wines. And why a good $100 wine is worth … one hundred dollars.
Sommeliers do not have a master’s degree in biochemistry. And no one from the scientific world is attempting to humiliate them in public forums for “claiming to know more than a little bit about wines” with no scientific basis to back them up. No one is shouting “confirmation bias” when the “somm” claims that high end wines are better than cheap wines, and well worth the money.
Yet, guys and gals with decades of involvement in high performance audio who claim to “hear differences” in various elements introduced into audio chain are pulled thru a gauntlet of scientific scrutiny, often with a great deal of fanfare and personal invalidation. Why is there not a process for “musical discovery” for seasoned audiophiles, and a certification process? Evaluator: “Okay, I’m going to change something in the system. Tell me what you hear. The options are interconnect upgrade, anti-skate calibration, removal of acoustical materials, or change in bitrate. Choose one.”
How can those with pretty “sensitive antennas” and years of hands (and, ears) on good gear convince the technical world that they are actually qualified to hear what they are hearing?
Why is it viewed as an inferior process for seasoned professionals to just listen, "swish" it around in their brains for a bit, and comment?
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If we are going to compare, please compare fully and look at the "numbers". How many manufacturers are there of hi-fi and how many vineyards? Pretty sure the wine dudes are much more prevalent than the hi-fi dudes. You would think that as much as has been spent in the field of wine and being a much older industry everyone would have arrived at a point of saying here is your red option and here is your white option. These are the best, not open for discussion. While sometimes you want a nice bordeaux, other times you just gotta pound some Night Train. If audio goes like wine, there will be more and more options and flavors and sounds, wonderful. |
We are not chained to our sensory perceptions! Over the past three centuries of the discovery of electricity we have developed theories and measurements to confirm or disprove said theories. Audio is a more recent subset, going back to Lee DeForest's invention of the "amplifying triode" in 1907. That's where it all started! None of today's gear would be possible without measuring instruments and the understanding of electronic theory. The human ear/brain is easily fooled! The anti- measurements crowd is a sad manifestation of the anti- scientific attitude prevalent in modern culture. |
Your earliest experience with recorded sound shapes your future preferences. I have no proof but it makes sense. Your hearing is "burned in" so to speak and thereby directs the average person in his audiophile journey. Alas, time does march on and my 64 year old abused ears no longer discern as well, which is another factor that is often ignored. (Do you really think all those rock concerts help your ability to hear the difference in power cables?) I have no problem with either camp as most manufactures test their products in some way. And those same manufactures acknowledge and depend on the subjective support of their buyers. One more thing, we do have audio sommeliers....youtube talking heads and a few print reviewers. And some retail individuals. Have any published their hearing evaluations from a medical provider? Why not? |
Interesting thread. @jpwarren58 wrote: Have any published their hearing evaluations from a medical provider? Why not?" I know my hearing has degraded at the upper frequencies due to age (I'm close to 70), But I think my judgment of what sounds like real instruments being played is as good, if not better, than ever due to a couple of things- one, lots of seat time over the years, access and exposure to well put together systems and to a large variety of recorded music (not just the audiophile 'pap'). So, I'm not sure that measure is going to tell you much- especially since much happens in the midrange. Then again, I'm not a YouTuber and don't put myself out there as a guru. (I do write, mainly about historical records and obscurities and have deep interest in the field--though not consumer audio per se). I'm a big advocate for people hearing real instruments as a reference and learning to trust their ears. I think people can learn to be astute listeners and at a minimum, can evaluate by comparison, which is an easy way to make judgments. Part of it too is having access to a wide range of material. |
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