Anyone read the latest from archimago's take on Stereophile editorial? Linked here:

[amirm]

How is that a cause for 'head scratching' ? How is it puzzling for him to mention that he's a doctor in such a context?

It is not. Just doesn't have much if any evidentiary value. In my eyes or surely the other camp.

 

[krabapple]

Well, I did. All that matters here is audio, not analogy with other fields. We have a simple problem that strong marketing is applied to lay intuition. Cars burn in, therefore cables must too. Companies sell filtered water so there must be something to filtered AC also. Jitter sounds like a bad thing so every digital source must have some amount of it. The glow of tubes is warm so should be the sound.

The improper sighted tests complete the picture. Nonsense change is made and sound improves. Ergo, person believes. And no, while this does have analogy in medicine, clearly the other side is super comfortable ignoring it per my other message. Heck if doctors stopped buying audio gear, half of these high-end audio companies would go out of business!

Again, how does any of that logically lead to dismissing what *Archimago, the doctor* actually wrote in respons to the actual article? He didn't claim or imply that no doctors believe in audio woo (or even medical woo). But doctors typically *are* trained in scientific thinking and they *are* trained in mainstream medical practice (and about placebos). Both are denigrated in the Stereophile writer's argument. Archimago's training is quite germane to the counterargument.

The Stereophile writer rested his argument on....something Ross Douthat wrote about medicine??

Who ya gonna credit more?

That's it really.

Rather inadequate really.

 

[Jimster480]

I read a good bit of it but don't detect a serious dig at asr. Maybe it is more towards the bottom. He does make some good points though overall. Because there are still things which we do not or maybe have not yet measured. And this is part of the reason why the testing here is always evolving.

 

[EL_PW]

Well, I did. All that matters here is audio, not analogy with other fields. We have a simple problem that strong marketing is applied to lay intuition. Cars burn in, therefore cables must too. Companies sell filtered water so there must be something to filtered AC also. Jitter sounds like a bad thing so every digital source must have some amount of it. The glow of tubes is warm so should be the sound.

The improper sighted tests complete the picture. Nonsense change is made and sound improves. Ergo, person believes. And no, while this does have analogy in medicine, clearly the other side is super comfortable ignoring it per my other message. Heck if doctors stopped buying audio gear, half of these high-end audio companies would go out of business!

That's it really.

Amir I'd like to suggest a thread called The Curb. So that when we wander so far off topic you can just kick the whole thread to the curb.

Much as I enjoy debating the finer points of Giordano's Bruno's philosophy I'm pretty sure it doesn't belong in an audio science thread.

Pretty sure.

 

[Jimster480]

Amir I'd like to suggest a thread called The Curb. So that when we wander so far off topic you can just kick the whole thread to the curb.

Much as I enjoy debating the finer points of Giordano's Bruno's philosophy I'm pretty sure it doesn't belong in an audio science thread.

Pretty sure.

I think that would have to be a whole section LOL

 

[amirm]

Again, how does any of that logically lead to dismissing what *Archimago, the doctor* actually wrote in respons to the actual article?

It adds nothing factual to the conversation.

 

[amirm]

Amir I'd like to suggest a thread called The Curb. So that when we wander so far off topic you can just kick the whole thread to the curb.

I have seen that in another forum. Now I see why they created it! I am going to close this thread for now.

 

[amirm]

I was asked to link to Archimago's latest reply to our discussion here:

Summer Musings: On Stereophile's "Quackery, Gullibility, and Open-mindedness". Nature of audio devices. Truths in audio (and medicine).

A blog for audiophiles about more objective topics. Measurements of audio gear. Reasonable, realistic, no snakeoil assessment of sound, and equipment.

archimago.blogspot.com