xnor
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- May 28, 2009
- Posts
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Let's collect and discuss some evidence that show how subjective, sighted and (therefore) usually biased reviews fail.
Note: This thread is not about intolerance or ridicule towards subjectivity per se. See #51.
The following is in no particular order. The reviews are chosen completely randomly.
See also:
http://seanolive.blogspot.co.at/2010/12/how-to-listen-course-on-how-to.html
http://seanolive.blogspot.co.at/2012/11/behind-harmans-testing-lab.html
most "player A sounds better than B" posts in computer-audio
http://www.head-fi.org/t/657920/mqn-minimalist-wasapi-wav-c-memory-player-integrated-with-foobar2000
http://www.head-fi.org/t/444784/cmp-and-cplay-media-player
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634453/jie-extreme-player-2-7-2-released
http://www.head-fi.org/t/340451/lilith-audio-player
...
Measurements:
http://archimago.blogspot.ca/2013/06/measurements-part-i-bit-perfect.html
http://archimago.blogspot.ca/2013/06/measurements-part-ii-bit-perfect.html
see some of the audiophile audio player reviews or product pages
http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/pcaudio/messages/5/56101.html
Measurements:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/629729/xonar-d1-measurements (see loaded measurement results)
See also:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/668878/jitter-correlation-to-audibility/30
... discusses how the Wadia 121 24-bit DAC (MSRP $1299) received very positive reviews, but Stereophile's measurements concluded only AES/EBU works "correctly" achieving about 17 - 18 bits of performance, S/PDIF 24-bit data was truncated to 16 bits and USB measurements showed a noise floor around the 15-bit level.
See also:
#11.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/651654/earsonics-sm64-the-impressions-and-appreciation-thread
http://www.head-fi.org/products/earsonics-sm64 (1 review, 4.5/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://rinchoi.blogspot.co.at/2013/05/earsonics-sm64-electroacoustic.html ("An electroacoustic abomination born")
http://www.head-fi.org/t/622161/heir-audio-3-ai-impressions-comparisons-review-thread
http://www.head-fi.org/products/heir-audio-3-ai (3 reviews, 4.67/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://rinchoi.blogspot.co.at/2012/10/heir-audio-3ai.html (huge dip from 2 to 4 kHz, bad channel balance)
http://www.head-fi.org/t/621602/heir-audio-4-ai-appreciation-impression-review-thread
http://www.head-fi.org/products/heir-audio-4-ai (9 reviews, 4.72/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://rinchoi.blogspot.co.at/2012/10/heir-audio-4ai.html (broader dip than the 3.ai, better matching in the lows though)
Reviews:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/418746/the-beyerdynamic-dt48-arrives
http://www.head-fi.org/products/beyerdynamic-dt-48-e-25-ohm (4 reviews, 4.62/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/historic-beyerdynamic-dt-48-e-25-ohm-sound-and-summary
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/skullcandys-director-electrical-acoustical-engineering-dr-tetsuro-oishi-visits-innerfidelit-0
http://www.head-fi.org/products/ultrasone-edition-10 (4 reviews, 4.5/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/ultrasone-edition-10-page-2
http://www.head-fi.org/t/629143/shure-srh1840-review
http://www.head-fi.org/products/shure-srh1840-professional-open-back-headphones-black (3 reviews, 4.5/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/ShureSRH1840.pdf
... more to come ...
Note: This thread is not about intolerance or ridicule towards subjectivity per se. See #51.
The following is in no particular order. The reviews are chosen completely randomly.
Sighted listening tests
http://seanolive.blogspot.co.at/2009/04/dishonesty-of-sighted-audio-product.html ("Audio Musings by Sean Olive: The Dishonesty of Sighted Listening Tests")[...] if you want to obtain an accurate and reliable measure of how the audio product truly sounds, the listening test must be done blind.
It’s time the audio industry grow up and acknowledge this fact [...]
See also:
http://seanolive.blogspot.co.at/2010/12/how-to-listen-course-on-how-to.html
http://seanolive.blogspot.co.at/2012/11/behind-harmans-testing-lab.html
Bit-perfect audiophile audio players (software)
Reviews/claims:most "player A sounds better than B" posts in computer-audio
http://www.head-fi.org/t/657920/mqn-minimalist-wasapi-wav-c-memory-player-integrated-with-foobar2000
http://www.head-fi.org/t/444784/cmp-and-cplay-media-player
http://www.head-fi.org/t/634453/jie-extreme-player-2-7-2-released
http://www.head-fi.org/t/340451/lilith-audio-player
...
Measurements:
http://archimago.blogspot.ca/2013/06/measurements-part-i-bit-perfect.html
http://archimago.blogspot.ca/2013/06/measurements-part-ii-bit-perfect.html
(Software induced) Jitter, audibility
Reviews/claims:see some of the audiophile audio player reviews or product pages
http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/pcaudio/messages/5/56101.html
Measurements:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/629729/xonar-d1-measurements (see loaded measurement results)
See also:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/668878/jitter-correlation-to-audibility/30
Wadia 121:
http://archimago.blogspot.com/2013/10/musings-updates-value-of-objective.html... discusses how the Wadia 121 24-bit DAC (MSRP $1299) received very positive reviews, but Stereophile's measurements concluded only AES/EBU works "correctly" achieving about 17 - 18 bits of performance, S/PDIF 24-bit data was truncated to 16 bits and USB measurements showed a noise floor around the 15-bit level.
See also:
#11.
Earsonics SM64:
Reviews:http://www.head-fi.org/t/651654/earsonics-sm64-the-impressions-and-appreciation-thread
http://www.head-fi.org/products/earsonics-sm64 (1 review, 4.5/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://rinchoi.blogspot.co.at/2013/05/earsonics-sm64-electroacoustic.html ("An electroacoustic abomination born")
Heir Audio 3.Ai
Reviews:http://www.head-fi.org/t/622161/heir-audio-3-ai-impressions-comparisons-review-thread
http://www.head-fi.org/products/heir-audio-3-ai (3 reviews, 4.67/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://rinchoi.blogspot.co.at/2012/10/heir-audio-3ai.html (huge dip from 2 to 4 kHz, bad channel balance)
Heir Audio 4.Ai
Reviews:http://www.head-fi.org/t/621602/heir-audio-4-ai-appreciation-impression-review-thread
http://www.head-fi.org/products/heir-audio-4-ai (9 reviews, 4.72/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://rinchoi.blogspot.co.at/2012/10/heir-audio-4ai.html (broader dip than the 3.ai, better matching in the lows though)
Beyerdynamic DT48 E (25 Ohm)
(maybe other versions too)Reviews:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/418746/the-beyerdynamic-dt48-arrives
http://www.head-fi.org/products/beyerdynamic-dt-48-e-25-ohm (4 reviews, 4.62/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/historic-beyerdynamic-dt-48-e-25-ohm-sound-and-summary
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/skullcandys-director-electrical-acoustical-engineering-dr-tetsuro-oishi-visits-innerfidelit-0
Ultrasone Edition 10
Reviews:http://www.head-fi.org/products/ultrasone-edition-10 (4 reviews, 4.5/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/ultrasone-edition-10-page-2
Shure SRH1840 (and SRH1440)
Reviews:http://www.head-fi.org/t/629143/shure-srh1840-review
http://www.head-fi.org/products/shure-srh1840-professional-open-back-headphones-black (3 reviews, 4.5/5 stars)
Measurements:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/ShureSRH1840.pdf
... more to come ...