325xi;186709 Wrote: > Dude, may I say you drive me crazy? Do you really see only blacks and > whites? I just say your so beloved empirical methods ARE necessary as a > part of the whole, but not when used alone. A mere audition when taken > out of context proves nothing. But add it to other ways to elaborate > your system, and it may become quite useful information.
First of all, I was clearly kidding. Second of all, you must confuse me with someone else when it comes to the "so beloved empirical methods". I actually have a very pragmatic approach when it comes to audio equipment. I like to understand some of the theories behind it, but then again I am very open minded, and fully aware of the emotional element of psychoacoustics that go into it - then again, I'll put a $ cap on the emotional stuff, there's not a single multi-thousand $ esoteric element in my chain. I'll buy a cable that's a couple $100 mostly because it looks cool, makes me feel good, and the money doesn't hurt - but try to sell me a $2,000 cable and I'll be "get outta here - I'd rather fly to Cabo for the week!". Then again, I think controlled listening tests are *very* important. I have a pretty decent ear for differences. It's simply important to know and stand to one's sound preferences, and acknowledge that better sounds for me may not be better sound for someone else. Often the resolution and detail is identical, but some aspects of it are presented a bit different. I'll stand to my prefrence every time, and if I am able to detect a difference every time (like between the SB3's internal DA and the SB3-Toslink-AccuphaseDA chain), it's what ultimately makes me decide on a certain configuration. I'll grant what a listening test like that doesn't prove is utter linearity and perfect transparency - we may *prefer* somewhat distorted sound that compensates for our individual hearing etc. Then again, the fact that something comes out perfectly accurately our of the system does not mean it'll make it equally accurate into my brain. Besides, I'd really find if funny if some of those talking about Toslink jitter due to distorted flanks then prove to have a tube amp in their system. But that's the fun part of audio. :-) 325xi;186709 Wrote: > BTW, if we were talking about BMW, then my answer to your question is > definite yes. That's fine, but you can't claim that's a purely pragmatic choice then. There is a very irrational and emotional element to a priori brand preference - and it's totally fine. -- pablolie ------------------------------------------------------------------------ pablolie's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3816 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33146 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
