what he said... (in three parts) Part 1
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ALL212
Posts: 1,556
Below is from the Zaph audio web site. I can't email him for permission but I think, given that I've given him all credit, it will be ok. There are three pages - it's long and the maximum character count was exceeded.
Before I put this in here I have some thoughts on his writing. Most of us, heck, most of the industry has no "bible" to define what we hear. None of us have the same ears nor do we listen in the same rooms under the same conditions. When we are it is often at a trade show in a room that is poorly designed for listening. When objective results are published we try and interpret them but few are written well enough to be understood by the laymen that most of us are.
We try our best to define what we are hearing in words that we hope others can relate to.
In my reading of this he sounds a bit harsh but I believe he has some very valid points.
By John "Zaph" Krutke. http://www.zaphaudio.com/evaluation.html
I've done some spelling corrections but otherwise unedited.
Evaluation Myths Busted
Subjectivity vs objectivity
subjectivity
noun: judgment based on individual personal impressions and feelings and opinions rather than external facts
objectivity
noun: judgment based on observable phenomena and uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices
For those who are not familiar with the usage of these terms in the audio world, subjectivity is an interpretation of performance using ears and music while objectivity is proof of performance using as many scientific measurements and methods as required to make a point.
This is going to be the part of this article that hurts some the most: In a situation where proven methodology and technology exists to do objective testing, people will side with subjectivity when 1)objectivity does not give them the answers they want to hear 2)they have an agenda or interest to protect, or 3)they are incapable of executing objective methods or reading objective results. Why do I never discuss this issue on the forums? Because there's no winning an argument with someone who is stubborn and uneducated, unaware, or uninformed. (ouch, but I can't think of any less harsh terms at the moment)
Don't let a proponent of subjectivity tell you that the right measurements don't exist to properly describe performance. That is a wrong statement, occasionally stated unknowingly but more often stated blatantly on purpose. The right measurements do exist and it's time for people to get with the program. The field of audio is very well known and has been for 50 years. My advice to those who say the right measurements don't exist: Get a decent measurement package, start measuring some drivers, and then start listening to them, in different applications and without filters, alone and in systems with other drivers, just so you can hear exactly what you see. In time, understanding will come.
Beware the subjective speaker review. Anything subjective is likely full of vague useless verbiage and is open to very different interpretation by anyone. It's also open to omissions because the review material will always be limited. And, as mentioned above, there's a good chance it's just not true.
A speaker can't be evaluated like a painting. The nature of a painting forces subjectivity while a speaker *can* be objectively tested. Don't forget that a painting is a production conveying the emotions and ideas of the painter, while a speaker is a device for reproduction. There is no room for emotion (or distortion) in a reproduction. A reproduction is judged by one thing: accuracy compared to the original. People shouldn't put on purple sunglasses when going to an art museum.
The objectivity of measurements leaves nothing to the imagination. Issues can not hide or be neglected, intentionally or unintentionally. So obviously, the moral of this story is that objective measurements should be used whenever possible, and subjective reviews should not be accepted or at least considered with a grain of salt.
How often has someone said "Forget the measurements and tell me how it sounds." Or "Learn to listen with your ears." Well I hate to say it, but stubborn and uninformed is rearing it's ugly head again. A lack of understanding without an open mind leads to a refusal of the facts and an embrace of whatever view happens to further that individual's cause. Or worse yet, it may lead to a view that's simply an attempt to make a knowingly guilty person appear smarter or more interesting than they actually are.
All the answers are in the measurements. And I mean ALL the answers. Some people don't know how to interpret the measurements. Some don't want to know all the answers. The mysticism of not knowing how a speaker sounds before trying to use it might make for an interesting, though lengthy design session. That's fine. If that's the route chosen, so be it and enjoy the design process. It would be wrong however to say that's the only route to take. The sad part is that the less technical "guessing" route is the one that's more likely to lead to failure.
The performance of a driver can simply be broken down into two types of distortion - linear and nonlinear. Everything is a subset of that. It's beyond the scope of this article to describe how types of distortion are categorized. As far as the measurements posted on this web site, don't assume that if one type if distortion isn't tested for, something is missing. The linear distortion in the form of frequency response, and non-linear distortion in the form of harmonic distortion and intermodulation distortion are the factors that make up 95% of a driver's performance. For example, I don't show "the rise and fall time" of a driver because it's just a derivative of the response curve. It's all in the impulse.
Before I put this in here I have some thoughts on his writing. Most of us, heck, most of the industry has no "bible" to define what we hear. None of us have the same ears nor do we listen in the same rooms under the same conditions. When we are it is often at a trade show in a room that is poorly designed for listening. When objective results are published we try and interpret them but few are written well enough to be understood by the laymen that most of us are.
We try our best to define what we are hearing in words that we hope others can relate to.
In my reading of this he sounds a bit harsh but I believe he has some very valid points.
By John "Zaph" Krutke. http://www.zaphaudio.com/evaluation.html
I've done some spelling corrections but otherwise unedited.
Evaluation Myths Busted
Subjectivity vs objectivity
subjectivity
noun: judgment based on individual personal impressions and feelings and opinions rather than external facts
objectivity
noun: judgment based on observable phenomena and uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices
For those who are not familiar with the usage of these terms in the audio world, subjectivity is an interpretation of performance using ears and music while objectivity is proof of performance using as many scientific measurements and methods as required to make a point.
This is going to be the part of this article that hurts some the most: In a situation where proven methodology and technology exists to do objective testing, people will side with subjectivity when 1)objectivity does not give them the answers they want to hear 2)they have an agenda or interest to protect, or 3)they are incapable of executing objective methods or reading objective results. Why do I never discuss this issue on the forums? Because there's no winning an argument with someone who is stubborn and uneducated, unaware, or uninformed. (ouch, but I can't think of any less harsh terms at the moment)
Don't let a proponent of subjectivity tell you that the right measurements don't exist to properly describe performance. That is a wrong statement, occasionally stated unknowingly but more often stated blatantly on purpose. The right measurements do exist and it's time for people to get with the program. The field of audio is very well known and has been for 50 years. My advice to those who say the right measurements don't exist: Get a decent measurement package, start measuring some drivers, and then start listening to them, in different applications and without filters, alone and in systems with other drivers, just so you can hear exactly what you see. In time, understanding will come.
Beware the subjective speaker review. Anything subjective is likely full of vague useless verbiage and is open to very different interpretation by anyone. It's also open to omissions because the review material will always be limited. And, as mentioned above, there's a good chance it's just not true.
A speaker can't be evaluated like a painting. The nature of a painting forces subjectivity while a speaker *can* be objectively tested. Don't forget that a painting is a production conveying the emotions and ideas of the painter, while a speaker is a device for reproduction. There is no room for emotion (or distortion) in a reproduction. A reproduction is judged by one thing: accuracy compared to the original. People shouldn't put on purple sunglasses when going to an art museum.
The objectivity of measurements leaves nothing to the imagination. Issues can not hide or be neglected, intentionally or unintentionally. So obviously, the moral of this story is that objective measurements should be used whenever possible, and subjective reviews should not be accepted or at least considered with a grain of salt.
How often has someone said "Forget the measurements and tell me how it sounds." Or "Learn to listen with your ears." Well I hate to say it, but stubborn and uninformed is rearing it's ugly head again. A lack of understanding without an open mind leads to a refusal of the facts and an embrace of whatever view happens to further that individual's cause. Or worse yet, it may lead to a view that's simply an attempt to make a knowingly guilty person appear smarter or more interesting than they actually are.
All the answers are in the measurements. And I mean ALL the answers. Some people don't know how to interpret the measurements. Some don't want to know all the answers. The mysticism of not knowing how a speaker sounds before trying to use it might make for an interesting, though lengthy design session. That's fine. If that's the route chosen, so be it and enjoy the design process. It would be wrong however to say that's the only route to take. The sad part is that the less technical "guessing" route is the one that's more likely to lead to failure.
The performance of a driver can simply be broken down into two types of distortion - linear and nonlinear. Everything is a subset of that. It's beyond the scope of this article to describe how types of distortion are categorized. As far as the measurements posted on this web site, don't assume that if one type if distortion isn't tested for, something is missing. The linear distortion in the form of frequency response, and non-linear distortion in the form of harmonic distortion and intermodulation distortion are the factors that make up 95% of a driver's performance. For example, I don't show "the rise and fall time" of a driver because it's just a derivative of the response curve. It's all in the impulse.
Aaron
Enabler Extraordinaire
Enabler Extraordinaire