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The invention of measurements and perception

This is going to be pretty airy-fairy. Sorry.

Let’s talk about how measurements get invented, and how this limits us.

One of the great works of engineering, science, and data is finding signals in the noise. What matters? Why? How much?

My background is in computer science, and a little in electrical engineering. So the question of what to measure to make systems (audio and computer) "better" is always on my mind.

What’s often missing in measurements is "pleasure" or "satisfaction."

I believe in math. I believe in statistics, but I also understand the limitations. That is, we can measure an attribute, like "interrupts per second" or "inflamatory markers" or Total Harmonic Distortion plus noise (THD+N)

However, measuring them, and understanding outcome and desirability are VERY different. Those companies who can do this excel at creating business value. For instance, like it or not, Bose and Harman excel (in their own ways) at finding this out. What some one will pay for, vs. how low a distortion figure is measured is VERY different.

What is my point?

Specs are good, I like specs, I like measurements, and they keep makers from cheating (more or less) but there must be a link between measurements and listener preferences before we can attribute desirability, listener preference, or economic viability.

What is that link? That link is you. That link is you listening in a chair, free of ideas like price, reviews or buzz. That link is you listening for no one but yourself and buying what you want to listen to the most.

E
erik_squires
orpheus10
5,988 posts
 

Erik, when I was in "mid-fi" Harmon and Bose were my favorites, but after I got into "hi-end", everything changed; meaning more objective than subjective, and I don't regret it.

I know you remember "graphic equalizers"; they were the thing in my Harmon, Bose days, but I discovered I was rearranging the music; did I want to hear the band, or be a part of the band?

Now I'm 180 degrees from what I was; I only want neutral components that will faithfully reproduce the music. What's most important is the truth of the equipment that reproduces the music; my pleasure must be derived from the music as it is, not as I want it to be.


jetter
1,035 posts
 
"High falutin", reminds me of my days watchin festus haggen and jethro bodine.  Sure miss Miss Jane.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
gdnrbob
2,421 posts
 
@jetter 
Whee doggie!
When TV series had great music themes.
B
erik_squires OP
5,268 posts
 
They didn't just have themes, they had opening songs which described the plot to the newly watching.

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship ...


source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/tvthemes/gilligansislandlyrics.html



A horse is a horse, of course, of course,
And no one can talk to a horse of course
That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed.

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/tvthemes/mredlyrics.html

jea48
2,944 posts
 
jburidan640 posts01-31-2019 6:14pm

Temperature is +2 Fahrenheit but it feels like -30 with the wind chill factor. So, here’s an example of measurement v perception. But who decides about the perception?
+1


snapsc135 posts02-05-2019 8:09am

 @erik_squires

As an example...an acoustic guitar played in your back yard and a well made recording of that acoustic guitar as pointed out by geoffkait, with a mathematically perfect reproduction should be able to be played back through a perfect reproduction system in your living room and have the sound be indistinguishable from the original.
Obviously, at least so far, we have not been able to identify all of the parameters that define and contribute to sound as we hear it in a way that we know everything to measure and then devise a way to measure it.

What test equipment exists to date that will measure fullness, body, and timbre? The recording of the acoustic guitar may be close to the original but will it be exactly the same? NO....

Test equipment may measure the frequency responses of the strings as they are being plucked or strummed by the musician but it will not measure fullness or timbre. Only the human ear can do that.

Also the test equipment may measure the frequency responses of the song being played but can it measure the musicians ability, and or style, as he/she plays the guitar? No. Again only the human ear can do that. Who determines who is considered good or the best of the best musician/s? Not test equipment, that’s for sure.


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