There is perhaps no greater debate in high-end audio than that between the subjectivists and objectivists – those who believe the ear is the ultimate measuring tool versus those who believe test equipment reigns superior. In my view, both parties are right and the dogmatists on both sides are missing the point. Objective measurements and subjective experience are complementary elements of the whole hi-fi experience. Measurements give us a clue, but listening is what matters.
The human experience – especially when it comes to sound – is not something that can be measured. Our understanding of the brain is nowhere near the point where we can use equipment to assess or measure consciousness, specifically what makes for a pleasurable and rewarding listening experience. While we have technology that can measure the different objective elements of sound created by one piece of equipment, human perception emerges as something greater than just the sum of its measurable parts. Moreover, in real life people aren’t hearing the same things, even when they’re sitting in the same room at the same time, listening to the same music from the same stereo system. What one particular listener may consider superior is driven by their personal preferences, which will differ from those of another listener.
I was reminded of this puzzle when then-PS Audio senior design engineer Darren Myers was working on the Stellar Phono stage. He had that beauty measuring a perfect 10, yet he was unhappy with the sound. It certainly wasn’t dreadful, but it was closed and restricted when the THD and IM (total harmonic distortion and intermodulation distortion) were at their lowest. As he lifted the feedback levels that offered such great measurements, the sound opened up and blossomed. It was truly a thing of beauty to witness. This is just one more reason why hi-fi products must be designed with one foot in the measurement lab and the other firmly planted in the listening room.
So, if the source of sound is absolute but hearing it is subjective, what’s an equipment manufacturer to do? Cater to the subjective or the absolute? This interesting question has always been a source of both inspiration and balance for me and my colleagues at PS Audio. On one hand, the challenge of recreating the absolute sound has driven our design efforts for years. On the other hand, building equipment that pleases our subjective side has also guided our products since the day we started. After all, if it doesn’t sound right when we’re playing music, who cares if it measures great?
Still, measurements of audio equipment, using sophisticated test gear, form an important part of the story and provide a steady reference. They’re also a good way to judge the expertise and capabilities of a designer. At PS Audio we rely intensively on measurements when designing and building our equipment in the lab, but that’s only the first step in the design process. The next takes place in the listening room, where the art is to combine the finest measurement equipment in the world with the best sets of ears. Between the two, we’re able to offer products that make music sound like…well, music.
Courtesy of Pexels.com/Ali Haki.
Audio Specs and Measuring
In the world of high-end audio, debates can get heated, and opinions are often held with religious fervor. I’ve been in this industry for half a century, designing and building audio equipment, and I’ve seen my fair share of controversies. But there’s one day that stands out in my memory, a day when theory and practice, measurements and perception, came head-to-head in my own listening room.
For years, a certain individual – who shall remain nameless out of respect – had been challenging me on my YouTube channel and throughout various industry forums. His worldview was firmly rooted in two beliefs: first, that higher sample rates in digital audio were not audible, and second, that everything we hear regarding differences in audio equipment can be measured and quantified. As someone who has spent decades fine-tuning equipment by ear, I vehemently disagreed with both assertions. Don’t get me wrong – I wish it were that simple. Our design lives would be so much easier if we could just hook up a piece of equipment to a computer or measuring device and have it tell us exactly how it would sound. But in my experience, that’s never been the case.
Audio Precision makes industry-standard measuring equipment. Here's an APx555 audio analyzer.
One day, this gentleman showed up at our facility, ready for a showdown. He was prepared to be proven right or wrong, and I was eager to demonstrate what my ears had been telling me for years. We set up a series of double-blind listening tests, first comparing different sample rate digital files, and then different amplifiers. To my satisfaction (but not surprise), my challenger correctly and consistently identified the differences in both tests. I thought, finally, we can put this debate to rest. But what happened next left me scratching my head. Despite clearly hearing the differences, he declared that he was hardly going to change his public stance. His reputation, he explained, was built on these beliefs, and he wasn’t about to overturn them based on a single listening session.
I was speechless. Here was irrefutable proof, experienced firsthand, and yet it wasn’t enough to sway deeply held beliefs. It was a stark reminder of how entrenched we can become in our positions, even in the face of contrary evidence.
This experience underscores a crucial point in the world of audio: while measurements are indeed critical in the design process, they are only one tool in the chain. They provide invaluable data, help us troubleshoot issues, and guide our designs. But in the end, you have to listen. The human ear is an incredibly sophisticated instrument, capable of detecting nuances that our current measurement techniques might miss. It’s not that measurements are wrong – far from it, they’re essential. But they don’t tell the whole story.
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