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Re: Stereophile tells readers and manufacturers what they want to hear

The inability to accurately and consistantly correlate objective measured "properties" of sound with subjective perceptions as a basis to evaluate the performance of sound reproducing equipment reveals what a primitive science this truely is, more like a black art really. Even the most intellectually honest attempt to evaluate performance relies on fallable memory but lacking any objective means of testing, even the best intentioned reviewers are groping in the dark. Worst of all is the failure to admit that for the reproduction of the most important music, that which has endured for a century or more, was written by the most analytical and studied musical minds, and can only be performed properly by those who devote a lifetime to perfecting performance of a musical instrument, the current state of the art is so inadequate that even the causual disinterested listener can distinguish when blindfolded a reproduction from the real thing immediately. This fact strongly suggests that only those with considerable disposable funds should consider purchase of an expensive sound system and nobody should fool themselves into thinking that they will usually get more than a pale facsimile of real music out of it.

The winetasters recognize that their "art" is equally primitive and while attempts have been made to correlate a relative handful of the hundreds of different chemical components normally found in wine with individual stimulation of different perceptions and even educational kits offered whereby "students of wine" can educate themselves as to the sensations the most common of these offer, the industry has barely begun to advance to the point where specific wines can be successfully synthesized to be indistinguishable from those produced by conventional methods. And while many wine enthusiasts are outraged at the notion that one day such successful duplication will not only be possible on an industrial scale but normal and desirable, many audiophiles think that for them in their own area of interest, that day has already arrived and its fruits would be within their grasp if only they had enough money. That's were the greatest of all deceptions lie. The dawning of that day would seem to be far in the future.

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  • Re: Stereophile tells readers and manufacturers what they want to hear - Soundmind 04/28/0604:31:52 04/28/06 (0)
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