IMO the scientific audiophiles among us seemed to have missed an essential point in relying on low distortion or measures of human hearing. The goal, ultimately, is not accuracy. Accurate reproduction is impossible. Reproduction of what? The instruments? The engineers’ concept of the bands sound? The microphone manufacturers concept?
it seems to me what many if not most of us are seeking is the maximum satisfaction with the sound of a system we’ve chosen and assembled with any and all of the elements we deem effective.
This may or may not coincide with ‘accuracy’. Whether it does is irrelevant to anyone but the individual audiophile.
In 40 years I have never heard two major components that sounded identical. To me.
Btw. I’ve blind demo’d ic’s and speaker wire for many friends and not had a single one fail to hear some difference... which they preferred...now that’s something else entirely.
it seems to me what many if not most of us are seeking is the maximum satisfaction with the sound of a system we’ve chosen and assembled with any and all of the elements we deem effective.
This may or may not coincide with ‘accuracy’. Whether it does is irrelevant to anyone but the individual audiophile.
In 40 years I have never heard two major components that sounded identical. To me.
Btw. I’ve blind demo’d ic’s and speaker wire for many friends and not had a single one fail to hear some difference... which they preferred...now that’s something else entirely.
