Ethan writes this:
Over the years I have seen many "religious" arguments in newsgroups and web forums. The science-minded objectivists assert that everything can be measured, and things like replacement AC wall outlets cannot possibly affect the sound no matter what the subjectivist "tweakers" claim. The subjectivists argue back they are certain they can hear a difference and the objectivists are simply measuring the wrong things.
That in a nutshell is one of the ways to look at audio.
It now appears that both sides have been right all along!
Some things really are too insignificant to change the sound audibly, but often the wrong things have been measured too. The room you listen in has far more influence on what you hear than any device in the signal path, including even the loudspeakers in most cases. It makes perfect sense that the one thing neither camp has ever considered- acoustic comb filtering - turns out to be the real culprit.
Well yes, both sides are right and wrong.
Sure subjectivist 'hear' differences .... well they perceive differences.
Some of it may be true, some of it is bound to be 'placebo'.
That's the real issue here.. the how and why.
The lack of being able to discern what is factual and what is fictional (believed) is what defines this group.
Sure objectivists can claim everything can be measured and explained.
This can be true (for electronics) but isn't always the case as indeed not everything that needs to be measured is always measured and that what is measured may or may not be measured properly and/or relevant. Especially when it comes to acoustics and perception.
On top of measurements there is interpretation of measurements to complicate things further.
Then there is a second layer ... perception and acoustics.
When it comes to electronics ... everything can be measured but isn't always measured (properly)
Everything that can be tested isn't always tested.
We are always looking at parts of the puzzle and not all parts may always be there.
Blaming everything on comb filtering ?
I'm sure some of what's heard from transducers in certain circumstances sure will ... but not with cables (what this thread is about)
