stereo system evaluation--objective or subjective

hi don_c55:

there are no stupid questions only stupid answers.

secondly, most people evaluate stereo systems by listening.

wouldn't it be instructive to find a method that is independent of the listener ?

i have a reason for asking this question.

it would be useful to have some set of measurements that could assist in discriminating potentially poor sounding, from potentially good sounding components, as it is impossible to audition many components.

there is always the possibility of missing out on a decent piece of equipment because it is inaccessible. as well, one may waste ones time auditioning a component that does not match well with the other components of a stereo system.

it would seem that there is no algorithm available to assist in the process of increasing the probability of eliminating "unwanted" components and ferreting out those which have promise.

again, nobody addressed my point:

are there any specs that can be used to screen components

are there any parameters which could be used to discriminate between components that one might want to audition from those to avoid ?

for example, there are many preamps out there. it is impossible to listen to all of them. it may be possible to establish a probability that, given criteria, one could feel confident that it is worth listening to some, or , perhaps, it's hopeless.