[Steven Sullivan]

Audio Empire wrote:
On Mon, 31 May 2010 07:28:53 -0700, Steven Sullivan wrote
(in article ):

Audio Empire wrote:

I'm aware of that. I'm also aware of the fact (and I assume that you don't,
won't, or can't see it) that for speakers it's almost impossible to set-up
such a test,

for consumers, true.

And that's really all I'm saying about the practicality of such a test. In a
professional setting, it certainly should be able to set-up such a test, even
though it would be elaborate, require expensive test equipment and a
comparator of some type - among other things. but it would be doable. But
Consumers and even dedicated hobbyists would find it a daunting, and perhaps
even a Herculean task.

But it was not impossible for Harman to set up such tests. And they
have produced data from them that can be useful to consumers. So all is not
lost.


and that ultimately it will tell the listeners nothing that a
long term evaluation of one's shortlist of speaker models won't do just as
well.

..and that's a contention that you cannot support. You are
making a faulty assumption that 'long term' evaluation mitigates
'sighted' bias.

No I'm not assuming that. For speakers, "sighted" and "expectational" bias is
an important component in the selection process. There are things like price
and physical size to consider as well as sound (not to mention wife
acceptance factor).

Of course. But I thought we were talking about about long-term evaluation
of the *sound*. That remains subject to bias from the very factors
that you mention , and others.

and price /performance don't really track. If one likes how speakers sound,
look, and find the price acceptable, then buy 'em. It's about the best one
can hope for.

True, though I would add that one can seek loudspeakers with good
objective performance too.

But all along I thought we had been talking about judging the *sound*
of loudspeakers. If judgement of sound quality typically is infused with
various biases that have nothing to do with the sound, then
that should inform claims you make about the sound quality.

If you agree with that, there's not much to debate (with me, at least)


Of course, if one has the facilities, one can select several speakers that
pass the visual and cost tests and then do a DBT on those, but again, we're
back in impractical-land again.


But, again, the work that *has* been done in this area, using
impractical means, is useful too. The key finding, which should
be gladsome tidings to true audiophiles, is that speakers that
'measure' good in certain known ways, tend to *sound* good to listeners
too.

Logically, audiophiles should push for the industry to standardize
loudspeaker testing and test reporting. Then at least there is an
*objective* basis for comparison.


--
-S
We have it in our power to begin the world over again - Thomas Paine