Is ASR for real, or is it only for those sub $1k or even sub $2K?

I started reading in ASR and got suck into it during my early years in audio as I am an engineer by trade. However, as I progress in knowledge and understanding, hearing what a good low distortion amp vs a good well-built amp (not much dealing with measurable distortion) I came to realize that music is more (a LOT more) that just distortion figures. in the first place, music is Analog. 

With that all being said, I quickly learned that all they do is just state (most specially their founder) that if measurements show that it has the lowest distortion (I am using amps as an example) then that is all that matters, it sounds the best!

In my opinion, I owned their highly recommended power amp, and I also own their poorly non recommended amp (the AHB2 and XA-25) and for sure you all know what the outcome is. 

From that point on, I never came back to that site as it only fosters that distortion figures as all that matters, not the music itself.

I like Erin’s Audio Corner for balanced assessment of measured data and listening experience.   

https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com

He uses a Klippel scanner for his data

 https://www.klippel.de/products/rd-system/modules/nfs-near-field-scanner.html

The condescension there is thick. Lots of smarmy mouthed jerks. I think measurements are cool and all but they’ve created a measurement cult*ure and it is extremely cliquish.

edit: I know that sounds harsh and I don’t mean to put down Amir or what he is doing especially when it exposes snake oil. It’s just the group condescension that I find offensive.

If you want to see group level condescension, you shall go and read the vile degenerate threads at asr.

The condescension there is thick. Lots of smarmy mouthed jerks. I think measurements are cool and all but they’ve created a measurement cult*ure and it is extremely cliquish.

edit: I know that sounds harsh and I don’t mean to put down Amir or what he is doing especially when it exposes snake oil. It’s just the group condescension that I find offensive.

With that all being said, I quickly learned that all they do is just state (most specially their founder) that if measurements show that it has the lowest distortion (I am using amps as an example) then that is all that matters, it sounds the best!

I agree with what you said.  All they measured are steady state frequency response.  But music has a lot of transient time domain that is very hard to measure.  Doing steady state is a short cut.  I’ve read most of there measurement and I don’t think they understand time domain measurement.

Music has fundamental tone and over tone decaying - that is multiple of the fundamental.  These are very difficult to measure.

I like Erin’s Audio Corner for balanced assessment of measured data and listening experience.   

I like what Erin is doing and I learned a lot from his reviews.  At least he does both -listen and measure.  And I think he correlate the two fairly well.