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Re: Another Sample Of An Audio Component That Doesn't Measure Well, But Sounds Great.

Hi Tubeguy

I think we are looking for the same thing but in different directions.
I desire a perfect servant, a device that does no more or less than what it is told.
For an amplifier, that would be what goes in = what comes out but say +20dB.
Going in this direction, one might well choose a thing which had a subjectively less real sounding reproduction IF it were more faithfully reproducing the original signal.

A problem with recorded music is you really have no way to know what the original signal is because everything you could do to record and play it through alters it (with loudspeakers doing by far the most alteration).

On the other hand, with loudspeakers in particular, one can measure many things about them and one is immediately struck that wow, these “do a lot” to the signal.
I have had much more success at picking apart the “problems” and building around them to get better measurements. In the process, this improves the reproduction of all types of signals and obviously music.

So far as “Audio Theory”, keep in mind that this is not a significant market, comparatively little cash has been invested in “finding out” anything serious and much of what is popularly “known” originated in the trade mags who are shills for the manufactures who are the profit center for the publications (selling advertising is where the money is). Probably not a nice / popular view but I have been designing for a living most of my life.

I don’t think you will find many real engineers that would say the wire doesn’t matter, yet the same folks are appalled at the magic wire market in audio which bears little resemblance to anything appropriately scientific.
Here science and engineering words are used to impress and inappropriately to construct a plausible sounding sales pitch.
I hesitate to talk about wires because of its association with the scum element in audio but like many things there is some sliver of reality hiding too.
If anything, the entire subject has more shades of gray than most want to see.
Best,

Tom Danley


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