Audio Science Review = "The better the measurement, the better the sound" philosophy

@prof I agree with you there. As I have stated, equipment should be selected based on one’s personal preference, engagement with the music. It should be listened to in "a system" "in a room" (preferably the room the music is to be heard). Typically, this means one’s own audio equipment in one’s home.

One of my audio dealers told me a story about hearing a pair of ($40,000) speakers at an audio show. He thought they were fantastic and purchased them. He brought them home and found out that he disliked them with his system in him room. He vowed never to buy speakers based on a show again and cautioned me not to do the same.

@nonoise +10 Amir acknowledged that I have superior experience in performing and recording in major venues. @crymeanaudioriver has a lesser view of me. Too bad.

invalid,

blind testing is not the answer, you might pick out a speaker in blind testing and hate it once you listen to it for a while in your room.

That's conjecture though.  How often has that claim been born out?

Again, knowledge is power, and if you understand enough about speaker measurements and your room, there is some level of predictive power about the sound. 

Further, speaker design has actually been advancing due to all the blind testing research that identified what type of resonances and anomalies we tend to identify as unnatural or sounding poor.  More and more companies are using this information in their design, even purchase Klippel Analyser Systems (like Amir uses - Magico for instance now uses the Klippel and designs with goals similar to that targets that arose out of the scientific research.

KEF has had enormous success with their designs, especially as they also have been designing their speakers ever closer to the "best practice measurements" goals that arose from blind-research.  So there really is a through-line from the studies to what many people will hear as Good Sound.  It doesn't necessarily predict what any particular individual will choose, but it's clearly been helpful.

Like I said before look what blind taste tests gave us the new coke, where is that product now?

A single such instance isn't an argument against the usefulness of blind testing.

That said, I think the New Coke Problem could be raised against the type of blind tests used at, say, the Harman Kardon facilities - that is, do some speakers sound better in the shorter time period quick-switching scenario of such tests, but don't necessarily predict long time satisfaction?  I think that's a possible flaw.  But it might actually have been addressed, I can't remember at the moment.  And it also seems fairly doubtful to me.

But to grant the proposition that people prefer X speakers in blind tests is useful does NOT mean it therefore predicts customer satisfaction per se.  Clearly plenty of audiophiles have found satisfaction with a wide variety of speaker designs over the years.  All sorts of confounding factors occur once you are in to the real world.

fleschler

If it hasn't been clear: my own approach is mostly like yours.  I always want to hear

gear for myself, rather than rely on measurements.  I think that is for me the most reliable method for getting satisfaction.

But, again for myself, I'd put things like tube amps and speakers in that category.

With so many manufacturers of cables, tweaks etc vying for my time and money, I find the information from places like ASR help inform my choices as to what is most likely worthwhile or not.

@crymeanaudioriver , No, it isn't.

@prof  Early on, the Audiogon moderator shut down the site and I petitioned him/her to reopen it.  This led to some great posts by members and unfortunately, attacks from ASR members with Amir's I'm always right type comments (and we are wrong/delusional).  

I have all tube systems for over 50 years (which has evolved over time).  I had a tube output CD player for 15 years.  I now have an all solid state digital CD playback system.  I have heard outstanding solid state based systems.  I chose what sounds best and synergistic in my room(s) without breaking the bank.  My listening room   

As to Amir closing down threads unrelated to equipment discussion, he let his opposing forum go for about 291 posts on 15 pages.  Quite a long time in my opinion.   As to some other ASR forums, I noted that some of the few (post introduction/ban) I've read go far astray off topic into hunting, race car driving, drug use (that's where an anti-social comment was made about offing the neighbors), vacations, etc., although usually coming back on topic.  It is just not illuminating for me to read.  ASR apparently would not inform me of equipment choices (including cables and tweaks) that would be consonant with my current listening preferences.

Every week on Saturday, I view Audiogon's latest and most popular posts, occasionally do a post or word search to find an interesting new topic.