FAQ Questions on Audio/ASR

[amirm]

Hello everyone. One of the items on my TODO list has been to create Frequently Asked Question both about ASR in general, and audio in the specific. I have a good idea of what I like to include but thought I might be missing some. So would you please post what questions you think should be in the FAQ in either category?

Please don't try to answer the questions or argue with each other. I am just trying to get input on the questions that are common enough to go into FAQ.

Thanks,

 

[Tassin]

A consolidation of all debunked myths. So we can refer to these articles, rather than having to explain over and again in every discussion.

 

[voodooless]

Okay, here are a few, there may be some redundancy:

So, what is this forum all about then? Why is this place different from the others?

Why on earth are people telling me that I can’t possibly hear things, while I clearly can!

How come my better half agrees with me on this?

All these reviews are telling me this is a fantastic product, so why do you not recommend it?

I have ears, so what is that science stuff you talk about, and why should I care?

… I may add some more later.

 

[DJBonoBobo]

Is speaker A better than speaker B?

Is speaker really worth x $ more than speaker B?

Is a speaker better/worse because it has or has not a specific part that is considered good (the best tweeter on the market or the most expensive electronics)?

(Why) do i need a subwoofer in a small room when i don't need more low end?

 

[Anthony LoFi]

• Do interconnect cables and speaker cables have an effect on sound quality?
• Do digital transmission cables have any affect on sound quality?
• Is it important to match speakers and amplifier wattage?
• Should a digital audio chain of components be at the same bit rate/freq?
• Is the addition of room treatment software implementation equally important as each component of the audio chain?
• Are there referenced and verified music media or audio digital files that can be used to test the audio system?
• Why don't we have an industry dictionary to technically identify terms that are described by color or emotion eg warm, punchy, rhythmic?

"Please don't try to answer the questions or argue with each other. I am just trying to get input on the questions that are common enough to go into FAQ"

 

[Matias]

Why listen to speakers in mono.

Why single number SINAD is not all but it is a good proxy for the entire performance.

Why don't you test X speaker/amp/phone (when it has not been lent or donated).

What are the meaning of the panthers.

Are you the Japanese woman in the picture? Lol.

 

[bluefuzz]

Why can't I always trust my own senses – specifically my hearing?

Why are expensive bespoke products made with care and devotion by dedicated western artisans not necessarily any better (by any measureable criteria) than cheap mass-produced products made in low-wage third world countries?

I'm special – a bunch of average normies can't possibly hear better than me!

XX influencer on YouTube said this product is good and I always trust his recommendations because he seems like a nice guy and votes for the same party as me, so why should I trust your recommendations?

Analogue is obviously better than digital because it's more 'natural' ...

This scientific theory is obviously wrong – I have my own theory how this really works ...

 

[voodooless]

Oh, one more thing:

Make every question a separate post, so you can link people to the exact FAQ question, or if it’s not a forum post, make sure that you can link to questions some other way.

 

[alex-z]

Is EQ/DSP a replacement for good speakers and/or acoustic treatment?

My frequency response doesn't look like the measurements, how come?

Should I buy bookshelf speakers + subwoofer or standalone towers?

Can the measurements tell you directly what sounds bad, or is there room for interpretation/personal preference?

 

[dzerig]

Why aren't there any good blind tests done to see what people can hear or not, and put an end to all the arguing about it.

 

[janbth]

- Which smoothing and other settings should I use for showing plots in REW?

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Do isolation devices such as spikes or washing machine blocks make a difference and why?

Do I need special furniture for my electronics?

 

[Dennis_FL]

Equalization for rooms and speakers/headphones.

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Is there a way to know how loud my system is when the volume control is in the middle?

I've bought a new more powerful amplifier, why do I have to turn the preamplifier volume control much further for the same loudness?

 

[voodooless]

Why do you have this silly SINAD ranking while you claim that most of these products are probably audibly indistinguishable?

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Why does popular digital audio technology cut off at 20kHz? Shouldn't this be higher and aren't we missing out on music or harmonics?

 

[voodooless]

What is this “burn-in” you all are not talking about?

 

[Jimbob54]

Some that come up far too often:

Which DAC should I buy (link to DAC reviews section with usual comment about features/ connections over "sound")

What desktop headamp should I get for [not ridiculously challenging HP eg HD600/ Sundara etc]- see link to headamp reviews section with comments like above- features/ connections etc

 

[malakasam]

Why does ASR review vintage or rare audio equipments?

 

[JayGilb]

What are the human audibility thresholds for the different criteria you test ?
Does a certain device fall outside said audibility thresholds ?