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I have nothing but the highest respect for Engineers!!

It takes TONS of talent to design and direct electrical components and such; building some quite beautiful and beautiful sounding equipment.

I have a great appreciation for these talents as I possess few of them. As a, somewhat former, philosophy student and philosophy of science student, I will do my best to resist bringing too much repetitive philosophical drivel into this discussion.
That being said, - I'll make the short point that I don't believe that we are ever going to achieve any kind of "universal resolution" to this objective vs. subjective argument. And that's why, - at least as a goal, - building high end audio gear is probably more closely related to art, - in that it's all a matter of subjective individual preferences with the builder and the consumer agreeing on that particular component's subjectively pleasing attributes.

Why? We cannot acceptably define things like "accuracy." (We also all hear differently, - similarily at times, - but differently. Many folks, - for whatever reason have had hearing damage, or different organ development, etc. etc. etc.). Once we come up with an acceptable set of definitions, - we can then be more scientific and make statements with more certainity. Both Rogue and Halcro may claim to have a more accurate amplifier, - but until those two manufacturers and consumers can say that such and such level of measured harmonic distortion, with such and such measuring device, calibrated in such and such way defines a certain percentage so that one amp unit is said to achieve such and such percentage greater accuracy, - we are standing on very, very thin ice.

In this example, the two amps are so disparate in sound that each owner will fight to the death asserting his/her belief that their amp is better. Under objective criteria and "science" would it possible to achieve some sort of "consensus of definition?" Could the Rogue owner say, "yeah well, - all right, - the Halcro is more accurate according to our mutually agreed upon level of harmonic distortion definition. But, I still PREFER my less accurate sound.....

So in the end, manufacturers use "applied science" or the scientific method to achieve ART, as the end result is an entirely subjective and an artistic experience.

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  Kimber Kable  

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