Re: So we disagree about how much we agree (or disagree)?

Posted by Soundmind (A) on August 30, 2004 at 18:02:06

In Reply to: So we disagree about how much we agree (or disagree)? posted by Commuteman on August 30, 2004 at 16:18:16:

"I hate to say it, but it appears we agree on this. There is one qualifier: you and I are using "better" and "more accurate" interchangeably, but this is not universally accepted."

This is what I was referring to. I didn't know if were were talking about the same thing. Prehaps in this broader context we are in agreement.

"Steve Eddy, for example, has stated many times that (to paraphrase): accurate is accurate, but better is what you like."

A lot of times, I am not sure I understand exactly what people mean. Does this mean that if you prefer something that is not accurate more more than something that is more accurate, the one that is not more accurate is better. Then better becomes a purely subjective value. If one speaker can "accurately" reproduce the sound of a jackhammer and a buzzsaw and another makes the jackhammer sound like a harp and the buzzsaw sound like a piano, which is better? I like the sound of harps and pianos more than jackhammers and buzzsaws. Which is better depends on how you define the function or purpose of the equipment. I think that's the crux of it. Having had the good fortune to hear live versus recorded demonstrations of AR3 loudspeakers at trade shows play against a guitarist and a 1905 Nickelodeon under admittedly highly contrived conditions, I was struck at the amazing similarity of sound. I would have been hard pressed to tell which was which blindfolded in those demonstrations. However, AR3 was a speaker that many people disliked and perhaps they were not as successful at reproducing accurate sound on commercially made recordings as on the special recordings for these demos. (BTW, on Arsenal, a site devoted to old New England manufactured loudspeakers, it was pointed out that no examples of these speakers exist today which perform exactly as they did in their heyday 40 years ago due to aging, deterioration, and the inability to compare restored units directly to pristine examples.)

"What I DID say is that the measurement of accuracy ultimately occurs inside your head, so any attempt at developing absolute quality ratings must take this into account."

And one of the things I said was that what goes on inside your head depends to a strong degree on what your ears are capable of hearing. Therefore the first order of business IMO in investigating this systematically is to determine just what the limits of hearing are. Can we at least agree on this?

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Message to Commuteman from Soundminded - Soundmind 08:12:46 08/26/04 (34)

Re: Message to Commuteman from Soundminded - andyr 05:11:06 08/31/04 (2)

What happend to "less is more" ?? ;o) nt! - Granholm 07:40:18 09/01/04 (1)

That's what I'd always hoped ... until my wife left me! :-)) nt. - andyr 14:02:47 09/01/04 (0)

Re: Message to Commuteman from Soundminded - CUlater 14:20:43 08/30/04 (7)

That's the amazing thing about the brain - Commuteman 16:27:54 08/30/04 (0)

Re: Message to Commuteman from Soundminded - Soundmind 15:50:31 08/30/04 (5)

So we disagree about how much we agree (or disagree)? - Commuteman 16:18:16 08/30/04 (4)

Re: So we disagree about how much we agree (or disagree)? - andy_c 20:56:00 08/30/04 (1)

Yep. - Commuteman 21:31:44 08/30/04 (0)

Re: So we disagree about how much we agree (or disagree)? - Soundmind 18:02:06 08/30/04 (1)

Not exactly....it's the methodological problem... - Commuteman 22:30:28 08/30/04 (0)

The last sentence is the best one - Norm Strong 15:48:26 08/28/04 (4)

Re: The last sentence is the best one - Tom Dawson 08:01:53 08/30/04 (2)

Re: The last sentence is the best one - Soundmind 15:20:07 08/30/04 (1)

Re: The last sentence is the best one - Tom Dawson 21:43:16 08/30/04 (0)

Re: The last sentence is the best one - Soundmind 17:33:17 08/28/04 (0)

Sticking Point on #3 - Jon Risch 18:13:12 08/26/04 (1)

Let me know which boards you moderate so I can avoid them (nt) - Soundmind 18:22:17 08/26/04 (0)

One thought - Commuteman 10:58:58 08/26/04 (12)

Re: One thought - Soundmind 11:46:32 08/26/04 (9)

You've come dangerously close to the truth - Norm Strong 16:50:20 08/28/04 (1)

Re: You've come dangerously close to the truth - Soundmind 17:32:33 08/28/04 (0)

I think we agreed more than you think - Commuteman 12:28:21 08/26/04 (6)

Re: I think we agreed more than you think - Soundmind 12:44:00 08/26/04 (5)

Ok, I've read this post a bunch of times.... - Commuteman 22:22:04 09/01/04 (0)

Re: I think we agreed more than you think - john curl 16:23:15 08/26/04 (0)

I can't help it, one more question.... :-) - Commuteman 13:57:58 08/26/04 (0)

Well, I tried... - Commuteman 12:51:55 08/26/04 (1)

Re: Well, I tried... - Soundmind 12:56:44 08/26/04 (0)

A key point. - RBP 11:24:26 08/26/04 (1)

Exactly! - Commuteman 12:12:12 08/26/04 (0)

Re: Message to Commuteman from Soundminded - Steve Eddy 09:59:28 08/26/04 (1)

Duh! Why didn't I think of that? nt - Commuteman 10:49:39 08/26/04 (0)

Hmmmm... great post - Commuteman 08:24:40 08/26/04 (0)

Follow Ups

Re: So we disagree about how much we agree (or disagree)? - Soundmind 18:02:06 08/30/04 (1)

Not exactly....it's the methodological problem... - Commuteman 22:30:28 08/30/04 (0)

You can not post to an archived thread.