If I might be so bold, your book assumes a certain level of technical competence and knowledge on the part of the reader. Hobbyists don't know what an Energy-Time Curve is. Hardly anybody outside of ASR knows what we mean by "minimum-phase", and I would wager a large number of people here don't know either.
Absolutely correct. The books are indeed written with assumptions of some technical knowledge, or at least curiosity. The reason is the the first audience needing persuasion that science exists and is potentially useful are those designing loudspeakers. If that audience is convinced the result will be what we are beginning to see: increasing numbers of basically neutral loudspeakers. This trend reduces the probability that average, fundamentally uninformed, consumers will make unfortunate loudspeaker choices. But it is a trend, not yet universal. As illustrated in my slide shows, there are some inexcusable outliers, often at high prices.
As for understanding what information a spinorama contains, both Amir and Erin have done decent, simplified explanations - with color and verbal commentary. All that is missing is the subjective side of the research, without which it would not have succeeded.
What is often not put into perspective is a message in a slide in the show I referenced,
shown below. No thought is required in these examples of linear product performance for consumers to experience neutral sound reproduction. Subjectivists and marketing departments work hard at creating "differences" but those are unreliable opinions. When put to double-blind evaluations, the "'differences" tend to disappear.
In these devices a single number or curve has meaning. Loudspeakers are different. They radiate sound in three dimensions, so the target performance is more complex to describe, but if the professionals in the loudspeaker industry do their jobs, consumers won't have to struggle with challenging technical concepts to select timbrally neutral loudspeakers. Reviewers like Amir and Erin have the huge advantage of having the necessary technical data, understanding it, and communicating it in attractive formats. Unfortunately they cannot keep up with the flow of new products entering the marketplace. An educated customer base still needs trustworthy anechoic data to assist their choices.
The job is not yet done, though, because the listening room determines bass quality (about 30% of sound quality judgements) and it must be dealt with. Fortunately, the right application of equalization can alleviate the worst problems for a single listener - some, not all, equalization algorithms can do this without damaging the rest of the spectrum. Satisfying multiple listeners is more complex, as detailed in Chapter 14. That is not for the faint of heart, nor those averse to technical solutions that necessitate measurements.
This is the reality, which is slowly improving. Meanwhile, between pleasurable travel episodes, I will continue to think about simplified explanations of what I believe is the necessary information without dumbing it down to the point that it doesn't really solve the problem. Colourful diagrams and cartoons broaden the appeal, which is why I like slide shows and there are several in the website associated with the 4th edition.
Meanwhile, ASR will continue to provide a welcoming Q and A conduit.
Thanks for your thoughtful response, Keith. The simplified medical text you reference is an entry level student tutorial, not a guide to diagnosing specific ailments in patients for graduated physicians. I can understand that at this level a "for dummies" approach is useful. At the point of delivery, my experience has been that the medical problems I have seem not to be completely understood. Some trial and error methods still apply. Statistically verified answers to some key questions don't exist, and "for Dummies" versions of what is known that one finds on the internet often just add confusion. The science is still developing.
Audio is simple, mistakes are not life threatening, and, by comparison, it is a relatively "exact" science - now including loudspeakers.
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