@firearm12 i think you are confident in trusting your ears while making choices because you have several years of experience in this hobby and know the kind of sound you want.
In audio the Objectivists vs Subjectivists is almost around treating audio as a science vs art.@firearm12 i think you are confident in trusting your ears while making choices because you have several years of experience in this hobby and know the kind of sound you want.
I remember listening to your set up with the Audiogd DAC and amp (Quad floorstanders). The SQ was superb. I am not surprised objectively they did not measure well.
Maybe in some instances DACs with excellent objective measurements can be removed from the short list of items under consideration?
We can surely hope for a balanced approach.
actually today, every component, except the DAC, I have is bought blind.
Also subjectivists who absolutely have no knowledge on Audio/video
like it or not tech is involved and certain parameters do matter for people who want quality and who have good ears and eyes to differentiate them. Such subjectivists can’t see or hear it . There is reference and preference period
www.audiosciencereview.com
"Please recheck Audiogon Prices of highend amps, there hasn't been any significant changes in resale value, especially nobody attributes that to ASR reviews, other than ASR "Bhakts"
... @firearm12 i think you are confident in trusting your ears while making choices because you have several years of experience in this hobby and know the kind of sound you want.
I remember listening to your set up with the Audiogd DAC and amp (Quad floorstanders). The SQ was superb. I am not surprised objectively they did not measure well.
Maybe in some instances DACs with excellent objective measurements can be removed from the short list of items under consideration?
check Erin, audioholics, archimago......or the other upcoming objective reviewers 
I wonder what is the motivation on still buying a product after knowing it has some obvious flaws?Please recheck Audiogon Prices of highend amps, there hasn't been any significant changes in resale value, especially nobody attributes that to ASR reviews, other than ASR "Bhakts"
Having Said that, ASR Review has its own place in buying decision making. ASR will give you a clue as to whether the device under consideration has been reasonably engineered to the current standards or not, also it evaluates the manufacturer claims for accuracy. Which many of non Technical Audiophiles may not be able to perform on their own. Once you have this data you can consider buying the equipment. But ultimate buying decision will be based on how it sounds to my ears. Unless there's a huge engineering flaw like too much Noise, LR imbalance I'd not give much importance to ASR opinion, beyond this point. It is like 2 Wheeler Escorts ahead of A VIP Limo, they'll survey the area and let the VIP know that all is well with security arrangements. VIP being your ear which needs to be satisfied for final decision making.
Even the best of designers and Manfactures do leave the final tuning (read voicing) to human ears and don't launch a product just on the basis of Freq graph, every product goes through extensive listening and retuning before reaching the end user. If the measurements were everything; whats the need to listen to the product before releasing them to market?
I find this unnecessary Criticism and Glorification of ASR reviews quite Absurd and unwarranted. Use ASR reviews in your decision making and give it a importance it deserves, never solely buy or reject a component based on ASR reviews.
But I think there are products that would work in most rooms Better than others. You can see those from their directivity patterns. Some thing we listen at a store ambience will never sound the same(can be better or bad depends on our room) in our rooms, unless it’s directivity is good.
That variables are actually some of the most flouted pseudoscience and myths.
