[mab1376]

 

Spoiler: Quote: Jason Stoddard

 

 
You've spent plenty of time talking about the equipment you use but what is your methodology for subjective impressions. I mean there are plenty of people who will lament how objective measurements don't tell the whole story but never really give any information about how they conduct their own subjective impressions and the methodologies they follow to come to these conclusions.
 
You brought up food earlier and I think it's quite important to mention the extent that businesses go to conduct trials to rate subjective impressions of their own food products. Double blind testing is pretty much standard in other industries using selected groups of customers to ensure that they product products there are well liked. I'm sure you've seen how JBL conducts research into finding preferences in speakers.
 
The interesting thing in the audiophile world is that the engineers who design products don't follow these practices when pretty much every other industry has adopted them out of necessity.

 
There needs to be an industry standard baseline for everyone to reference.
 
x gear using y songs in z quality. not to mention environment variables such as dirty power and ambient noise, even temperature.
 
That way comparisons are done with gear and media that everyone is familiar with.
 
My saying my HE-500 are better than my HD650 doesn't do anyone any good unless they own or have tried an HD650 and are looking for an HE-500. But then again my amp/tubes/dac/power/temparature/cables/etc. are all variables.

 

[ThePianoMan]

There needs to be an industry standard baseline for everyone to reference.

x gear using y songs in z quality. not to mention environment variables such as dirty power and ambient noise, even temperature.

That way comparisons are done with gear and media that everyone is familiar with.

My saying my HE-500 are better than my HD650 doesn't do anyone any good unless they own or have tried an HD650 and are looking for an HE-500. But then again my amp/tubes/dac/power/temparature/cables/etc. are all variables.

^or this is the reason for head-fi meets. One person's sacred cow piece of music/gear is another's barbecue.

I think subjective test comes down to: does it sound good, nothing amiss? Does the music make me want to get up and dance/zonk out/headbang/etc.? Then all is well. That's subjective listening to me.
YMMV

 

[Pirakaphile]

   
There needs to be an industry standard baseline for everyone to reference.
 
x gear using y songs in z quality. not to mention environment variables such as dirty power and ambient noise, even temperature.
 
That way comparisons are done with gear and media that everyone is familiar with.
 
My saying my HE-500 are better than my HD650 doesn't do anyone any good unless they own or have tried an HD650 and are looking for an HE-500. But then again my amp/tubes/dac/power/temparature/cables/etc. are all variables.

Everyone's reference is different because noone hears the same. Why not just let everyone use their own music? Jason said something about that, and I agree. There's no better way to test a system than to use music you'll be listening to anyway. 

 

[Ableza]

  . There's no better way to test a system than to use music you'll be listening to anyway. 

... and it should be tracks that you know really well.

 

[MrSpeakersPeter]

I swear to Bob if I hear Hotel California or anything off of Darkside of the Moon or Random Access Memories at another meet I'm going to...
calmly carry on my business because I'm a professional. They are reference tracks for a reason. 

 

[AudioBear]

I have no argument with listening to a system and source material that you like.  At the end of the day for most of us that's what it's all about.  There is also the hunt to consider.  For some (many?) of us seeking out and experiencing new gear and new combinations of gear, as well as new artists and sources is part of the hobby--or it is the hobby.  By the very nature of the process, it's subjective.  But manufacturers need consistent, reproducible tests in the development process--I think we all agree to that too.
 
I don't think anybody is suggesting that objective measurement systems can fully predict what a component will sound like although it was interesting that Jason revealed a couple of specific tests that they do when developing a product that they feel provides information that the other commonly used tests don't.  Jason also makes clear that there is no consistency with regard to how these commonly used measurements are made across the industry (to say the least).  If there are no standard tests, there is no way to compare gear.
 
 
Jason has emphatically made the point in his book and on the forum that the transducer is the weak link--for want of a better word--in the sound reproduction chain (after the recording itself maybe).  It is pretty well established that speaker placement can have dramatic on the spectral response and that moving your head one inch one way or another can wildly change the perceived spectrum.  The same holds true for earphones.  If you don't put them back in exactly the same place, the response will not be the same.  I should add to this that our ears and brains are not consistent either.  Congestion, fatigue, etc affect our perceptions.  Much has been written about the psychology of expectation bias so I won't go there.
 
I'd like to raise a two-part question for Jason.  The first is what transducers you use to evaluate gear and the second is what, if anything do you do to avoid some of the pitfalls of inconsistent reproducibility of the transducer system and the big differences we know exist between different models of cans and speakers?

 

[AUserName501]

I'd also be interested to know if blind testing is used at all by Schiit and if not then their reasons why they don't think it's necessary.

 

[mab1376]

^or this is the reason for head-fi meets. One person's sacred cow piece of music/gear is another's barbecue.

I think subjective test comes down to: does it sound good, nothing amiss? Does the music make me want to get up and dance/zonk out/headbang/etc.? Then all is well. That's subjective listening to me.
YMMV

In all honesty that's why i bought an HE-500. Demoed at a meet with and EF6 amp and unfamiliar jazz music, but i liked it that much.

 

[TMoney]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Originally Posted by Jason Stoddard /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Hey all,
 
So it's here--our 5th anniversary! 
 
For five years, some have called us “the flavor of the month.” Well, maybe that’s true…but our month seems to keep on rolling along! Now, at 60 months in, it’s time for a little celebration.
 
First seen on Head-Fi, Schiit Happened: The Story of the World’s Most Improbable Start-up is now available in e-book and print (after some polishing by a professional editor, of course.) So, now everyone who would rather read via an eBook reader, or curl up in a chair with a print book, can enjoy our improbable story. It’s an interesting tale for anyone who’s ever thought of starting their own business, but never had the rich relatives, trust fund, or venture capital to get it off the ground.
 
Schiit Happened is available now as an eBook via Amazon, Kobo, Google Play, and Barnes & Noble at $4.99, and will shortly be available in print via CreateSpace and Amazon at $14.99.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z5IFTYO

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/schiit-happened

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jason_Stoddard_Schiit_Happened?id=2oDSCQAAQBAJ

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/schiit-happened-jason-stoddard/1122083013?ean=2940151391085&itm=1&usri=2940151391085
 
The original book remains right here at Head-Fi--and, of course, continues rolling along!
 
Thanks again for all your support!
 
All the best,
 
Jason Stoddard
Mike Moffat
 
 

 

 
Hey Jason,
 
Just finished the book. It has been a very enjoyable read.
 
I'm wondering if Mr. Moffat ended up finishing his Yggdrasil chapters, and if so, if you can share a link to where they are posted. Thanks in advance.

 

[Armaegis]

  I swear to Bob if I hear Hotel California or anything off of Darkside of the Moon or Random Access Memories at another meet I'm going to...
calmly carry on my business because I'm a professional. They are reference tracks for a reason. 

 
We'll cue up some Slayer - Reign In Blood just for you then.

 

[aamefford]

I swear to Bob if I hear Hotel California or anything off of Darkside of the Moon or Random Access Memories at another meet I'm going to...
calmly carry on my business because I'm a professional. They are reference tracks for a reason. 

All old favorites I don't like as much as I did before critical listening became part of my music hobby.

 

[45longcolt]

Yeah - has anyone else noticed how critical, focused audiophile-type listening is often uncomfortably close to work?

 

[Angular Mo]

 

 
What’s the one thing you dislike most about your current audio system?
 
Yes, dislike.
 
If you have a few moments, indulge me. I’d appreciate it!

 
1) I don't have a passive in-line mechanical balance control; whether it be a knob or a slider.  No one makes that as far as I can tell. The best I can find are noisy mixers, but I need to set the volume of each left-right channel, which is different from a balance or panning control.
 
 
2) The lack of line-out functionality from either dedicated amps, or DAC/amps.

 

[maverickronin]

  Yeah - has anyone else noticed how critical, focused audiophile-type listening is often uncomfortably close to work?

 
Yep.  It's like research.
 
Once I decide on something I can kick back and relax with it though.

 

[rtaylor76]

  A (relatively) minor aside: the sharp-eyed may have noticed some changes to Schiit's website this evening, in order to make it fully responsive for mobile devices. All the cool kids are doing it (or have done it), notwithstanding the absence of a true "mobilegeddon." And if you know what all this jargon means, my condolences.

I totally know what "mobilegeddon" is. That was back in April. I hope you guys did not take too big of a mobile rank hit. Good thing it does not affect desktop rank. Thankfully our sites were ready because we use a Wordpress plug-in to reformat to a mobile friendly version. For your site, responsive design is your friend. Looks like you got all that taken care of:
 

Congrats! Now on to those new products...