Why do many discussions about sonic performance disintegrate into technical discusions?


Guys I have noticed that certain members start with technical back and forth in discussions which look like they are self serving, to prove how smart or knowledgable they are, rather then forwarding the OP's original question.

Shouldn’t these discussions be moved into a separate post about technical stuff ie the techical merits of bibolar vs mosfets for example, if these members want to do that?

I think most member don’t care if a Krell amp uses brand x or y for transistors vs a Pass or any other amp, I think most people are more concerned with what the sonic differences there are vs specific technical arguments that are not related to the sonic flavor or design methodologies that these product use to produce their sound, what do you guys think?
128x128audiotroy

Without technical reasons as well as subjective reasons for X vs Y, then the BS will flow unquestioned, and then that would be a voodoo forum. 

When posters ask for advise for a problem or choice on something, I think it only helpful to give them not just recommendations, but a technical reason why those recommendations are given, otherwise you could be talking through your hat.

Too many times I've seen advice given on say what to amp to buy, without them first knowing what speaker that amp is going to have to drive, or visa versa.
  
Or on the danger side of things, suggestions of some to owners play to around with different value mains fuses, by those that should clearly not be suggesting anything in this area. 

Cheers George 

I enjoy talking tech, but I am happy to leave discussions that stick to subjective impressions as well.

Neither is perfect.

Lots of "subjective" opinions don't match up to what I hear at all, or seem overly effusive in ways that seem more tied to price tags than actual performance.

On the other hand, lots of "technical" discussions I see are naive, or ascribe subjective results to a particular type of tech. A really good example of this is fans of a particular brand of DAC chipset used in a DAC as being responsible for all of the sound.

My point, I think, I hope, is that we can have both. I think there is something to be said about focusing more on the results, especially when armchair geeks start attacking designs for x or y flaw which isn't actually in the product.

Like wine, some want to talk taste, some price, and some fermentation. Let's enjoy the journey and discoveries together.


Best,


E
George,

Technology is in reality in terms of subjective ways of telling a difference are useless in correlation to what you can perceive.

The only way to know the affect on a circuit of a particular part is to build x then take out the part  in question, and put in the other part and then listen. Some speaker designers have tried many brands of the same level of cap in their circuits before figuring out exactly which one they use.

In terms of pure statistical data guys. Take a gas chromatograph pour in
a bottle of ripple, a bottle of 15 dollar table wine and a 1,000 bottle of wine and see what your results look like?

Drive three different sports cars on the same road and see what the specs tell you.

Erik subjective experiences are just that, a particular set of criteria for that person, we usually don’t pass judgement on a product until we have heard it on a number of occasions.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ