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RE: RE Your "take-home points" #3

Posted by Charles Hansen (M) on November 20, 2017 at 01:31:11

In Reply to: RE Your "take-home points" #3 posted by goldenthal on November 19, 2017 at 16:07:49:

> > Nevertheless, measurements can be helpful. < <

Yes, for example Ayre publishes the measurements for electronics that we think are helpful, including things like:

Weight - will I need a friend to help me unpack it? Will my shelf support it?

Dimensions - will it fit in the available space?

AC power consumption - can I use it without blowing a breaker?

Number and type of inputs and outputs - will this component perform the tasks I am looking for?

Far less useful, as there are many more ways to misinterpret these measurements than to use them correctly, Ayre also includes:

Power output - is it sufficient for my speakers, room, and listening habits? (Most people think that a watt is a watt, but there are many more things that come into play here.)

Gain - will this have the correct gain for my system/application? (Again, it is difficult for non-technical people to gather much of use.)

Input impedance - if I am using an upstream device that has a capacitor-coupled output, will there be a problem with low-frequency response? (I can't think of an instance where there was an actually incompatibility. For example the DartZeel power amp has a 50 ohm input on a BNC connector, but also has a higher impedance input with a more standard audio connector.)

But I've found virtually zero correlation between measurements like THD and frequency response with audible results. For loudspeakers, the list would be different, and in the less helpful category would include sensitivity.

I don't think that any sort of frequency response information would be helpful unless it were presented in such a complex format that many would have difficulty understanding it. Often the size of the woofer tells you more in an easy-to-comprehend manner than any sort of frequency response specification. We all pretty much know that a 4" woofer is not going to be good for dance parties, but that a 15" or 18" woofer will move a lot of air.

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Kimber Kable

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