DO SPECS REALLY MATTER in Audio? - Understanding Speaker Measurements!

Comments · 430

• AU

  @Audioholics · 5 years ago · pinned

  In this video, we discuss the importance of proper specs and objective measurements in audio products to help make informed purchasing decisions. The article below demonstrates the peer reviewed science of subjective listening preference based on how a loudspeaker measures. <br><br>Read Objective Loudspeaker Measurements to Predict Subjective Preferences<br><a href="http://bit.ly/3qipgCs">http://bit.ly/3qipgCs</a>

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• CH

  @christakimoto8425 · 5 years ago

  I am not an engineer but I am a scientist in a field where double blinded controlled testing is the gold standard. Your video truly resonates with me. Thanks for all that you do for us on Audioholics!

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• AD

  @adamyelle4901 · 5 years ago

  Probably easy to say measurements don&apos;t matter for youtube reviewers when there is a constant stream of products to demo arriving at their doorstep. For the rest of us we need all the info we can get to make an informed buying decision: measurements, listening impressions, demos, etc. Pooling as many resources as possible is what I try to do. This stuff isn&apos;t cheap and you want to get it right. Thanks a bunch for all the work you do!

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• BR

  @brkly99 · 5 years ago

  Specs and measurements are useful guidance, and I have checked out specs on every speaker I have owned and many I have listened to. But beyond screening I would never select on specs, only on listening. There is room for both.

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• VI

  @VintageVic93 · 5 years ago

  Andrew’s continuous claim is being a “recovering audiophile”. He used to care about it all, but didn’t find joy. The message behind his channel is to look at equipment through a more emotional view and he is appealing to a different demographic; not just chasing the small details that intense audiophiles do. I respect the audiophile view, but I’ve started noticing how critical I was becoming about my, and others’, equipment. I was focusing on what I needed to get better sound rather than just sitting back and enjoying what I have.

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• DO

  @donalddeorio2237 · 5 years ago

  I read Floyd Toole&apos;s papers from NRC and Harmon before I bought my last speaker system, 18 years and I&apos;m still happy. Very good information especially for those new to the hobby

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• AD

  @adamjj85 · 5 years ago (edited)

  I&apos;m with you Gene! &nbsp;Of course measurements matter. &nbsp;Great response and guys like you, Amir at ASR, and Erin are absolutely needed and appreciated as some of the best reviewers out there! &nbsp;Andrew made some good points however measurements can&apos;t be dismissed and certainly shouldn&apos;t be ignored by an audio reviewer. &nbsp;They are one of the only objective tools we have in audio.

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• JO

  @johnhoffman8041 · 5 years ago

  Hi liked this video and get how some people want to dig into measurements. &nbsp;I bought Heresy&apos;s based on Andrew&apos;s review and they are as he said and I love them. I did watch the other video on how the Heresy&apos;s measured poorly. &nbsp;Andrew to me is great for his opinion which I have found fits my ears well. There is room for all of us in this hobby which seems to be getting missed a bit. &nbsp;Best

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• CH

  @Charles7541 · 5 years ago

  I belive the bigger issue is standardisation of testing methods amongst manufacturers. Only then will the results be tangible/usable.

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• BR

  @BryanRuby · 5 years ago (edited)

  When I watched Andrew&apos;s video I never once felt that he was saying measurements and specs don’t matter, but that ultimately there is a lot more to the equation of what sounds good to the listener than specifications and measurements. I have degrees in physical science and information technology, my entire profession is controlled by specs, measurements, algorithms, and usability but ultimately whether I&apos;m right or wrong (despite there being a right answer) it still comes downs to how a specific person perceives the information or product that wins over the day. Specifications and measurements may help determine why something works or WHY someone likes (or will like) a particular sound but they NEVER determine WHAT a person enjoys hearing. &nbsp;When Steve Guttenberg got the ball rolling for enthusiasm over the Klipsch RP-600M by calling them &quot;magical&quot; and determined them as a Speaker of the Year...some of the more heavily spec-only folks spent way too much effort trying to dismiss these speakers based on their measurements alone and by questioning Klipsch&apos;s own specs. But you know what, I bought the 600M and they sound great. I do need specs and measurements to tell me what I potentially might like (or not like) for my me, my home, and my system. I don&apos;t need specs and measurements to tell me what I like...and some reviewers seem to not acknowledge this point enough either. There needs to be a happy medium in this discussion and I felt Andrew offered that.

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• WI

  @willbrink · 5 years ago

  As a scientist, I appreciate this vid and the channel in general.

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• BE

  @benjamin5909 · 5 years ago

  I think your both right. Specs can put you on the right path to narrowing your search. But at the end of the day you have to find speakers that excite you.

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