Testing audiophile claims and myths

[2leftears]

It seems I am not very talented or intelligent individual.

Your posts seem to suggest otherwise; it is all relative.

I have realised I am not even neurotypical, but autistic.

IMO that sounds far more plausible than you not being talented or intelligent.

Maybe I haven't had much luck in life? So, life turned out a struggle for me and accepting this harsh reality has helped finding a way to manage somehow.

Possible; some believe that (their) success is all down to hard work alone but in my experience external circumstances and a good deal of luck are often just as relevant. Opportunities always present themselves but every opportunity comes with risks (hence luck is a factor) and sometimes a moral dilemma; it is unfortunately a competitive world we live in.

I understand now that earning a little respect is a big win for me.

Good for you. Some people never learn this lesson.

 

[sander99]

I always found this “Power” vs “Field” quantities a useful mental differentiator, even though it isn’t always an accurate description.

Although I never really calculated much with it, I sometimes think in terms of surface power density. How much acoustic power is going through a surface area of 1 square cm for example.

 

[gregorio]

Although I never really calculated much with it, I sometimes think in terms of surface power density. How much acoustic power is going through a surface area of 1 square cm for example.

TBH, in 30 years of being a sound engineer I don’t recall ever having calculated with it. Apart from acousticians, I’m not sure who in the audio world would ever use it, maybe some transducer designers? I seem to remember there is a dB scale that does rely on acoustic power over a surface area and that it’s reference is some minuscule amount like a pico or nano watt, I don’t recall it’s name/abbreviation though. There’s probably some ISO standard/s that define the method of measurement.

G

 

[2leftears]

When I was learning this stuff years ago, it was taught to me as “power quantities” and “field quantities”. Comparing Power Quantities such as Watts, acoustic Intensity, etc., uses the formula 10×log10(y/x) dB, EG. Double ≈ +3dB. While comparing Field Quantities such as electric field strength, voltage, current and sound pressure used the formula 20×log10(y/x) dB, EG. Double ≈ +6dB. I always found this “Power” vs “Field” quantities a useful mental differentiator, even though it isn’t always an accurate description.
...
The above is for the benefit of others, rather than a response to you personally.

Likewise, for the benefit of others: there is a Wiki page on it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power,_root-power,_and_field_quantities

There is a square-power relationship between root-power (field) quantities and power quantities.

The dB is a logarithmic quantity, and hence the key property of logarithms involved here:

log₁₀x² = 2 log₁₀x

Thus for the dB, if X and Y are power quantities and x and y are root-power (field) quantities with (Y/X) = (y/x)²:

10 log₁₀(Y/X) = 10 log₁₀(y/x)² = 20 log₁₀(y/x)

(For those who wonder where this 10x vs 20x difference comes from in the two dB calculations)

 

[71 dB]

Your posts seem to suggest otherwise; it is all relative.

What I mean is I should be super-smart (smart enough to invent and figure out things nobody has before) to overcome my weaknesses on other areas. If I didn't have these weaknesses, my IQ level would probably be adequate to succeed in life.

IMO that sounds far more plausible than you not being talented or intelligent.

Albert Einstein was autistic, but his IQ was about 180! When you are that smart, you can explain the weird movements (precession) of planet Mercury and people start to take you very seriously. Since the World is made mostly for neurotypical people to whom finding the place/roll in the World is often relatively easy, autistic people need often serious superpowers to overcome these challenges such as lack of social skills etc. I have my superpowers, but they are not super enough. Furthermore, the selection of my talents are such that putting all of it together doesn't form any kind of "package" needed in any known profession. I am a mixture of an artist, engineer and philosopher, but I am not talented enough to be any of those things it seems. The job my weird spectrum of talent is good for doesn't exist (or if it does exist, I have never heard about it. Architecture is perhaps closest I can think of and I actually tried to get in to study it in the past, but I failed so I studied electric engineering specializing in acoustics and signal prosessing).

At the same time my weaknesses render most jobs completely unsuitable for me. That's why I have not found my place and purpose in this World.

Possible; some believe that (their) success is all down to hard work alone but in my experience external circumstances and a good deal of luck are often just as relevant. Opportunities always present themselves but every opportunity comes with risks (hence luck is a factor) and sometimes a moral dilemma; it is unfortunately a competitive world we live in.

Hard work plays crucial part, but since practically everyone has to work hard, it is things like luck/circumstances that separates those who succeed from those who don't.

Good for you. Some people never learn this lesson.

It was a long journey for me, but I learned it. The process is not over. There are probably many other things to learn in the future.

 

[2leftears]

Albert Einstein was autistic, but his IQ was about 180! When you are that smart, you can explain the weird movements (precession) of planet Mercury and people start to take you very seriously. Since the World is made mostly for neurotypical people to whom finding the place/roll in the World is often relatively easy, autistic people need often serious superpowers to overcome these challenges such as lack of social skills etc. I have my superpowers, but they are not super enough. Furthermore, the selection of my talents are such that putting all of it together doesn't form any kind of "package" needed in any known profession. I am a mixture of an artist, engineer and philosopher, but I am not talented enough to be any of those things it seems. The job my weird spectrum of talent is good for doesn't exist (or if it does exist, I have never heard about it. Architecture is perhaps closest I can think of and I actually tried to get in to study it in the past, but I failed so I studied electric engineering specializing in acoustics and signal prosessing).

You have read about my background in the other thread, and my coping mechanism for autism was masking (it happened subconsciously, I only learnt about the terminology of 'masking' later). It worked for many years but masking is hard work (again, subconsciously), and you do reach a stage of burn-out.

Not a bad choice for you I think in the end, acoustics and signal processing; you want something interdisciplinary and that is to some degree. Truly interdisciplinary jobs are few, and most interdisciplinary work environments still compartmentalise actual jobs and require specialised skills rather than the more "Jack of all trades" type of skillset.

From Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_of_all_trades

The original version, "a jack of all trades", is often used as a compliment for a person who is good at fixing things and has a good level of broad knowledge. They may be a master of integration: an individual who knows enough from many learned trades and skills to be able to bring the disciplines together in a practical manner. This person is a generalist rather than a specialist.

That's pretty much me, and from the sounds of it maybe you too. Anything that requires a systems-thinking mindset worked well for me; optimising problem solutions whilst observing many different objectives simultaneously. My work environment could offer that for a while whilst it was a small(ish) team. It was good while it lasted but the company grew rapidly and in the end they also went the specialised job compartmentalisation route and I no longer fitted in.

This is getting very OT though; take it to PM if you like, best get this thread back on-topic...

 

[bigshot]

Albert Einstein lived before autism was a diagnosis. Saying he was autistic is pure speculation. Autism is not a superpower. It’s a disability that holds people back from reaching their potential. Like any other disorder, autistic people need to work to overcome it and learn to find ways to interact with others better, not expect the world to change to suit them.

 

[2leftears]

Albert Einstein lived before autism was a diagnosis. Saying he was autistic is pure speculation. Autism is not a superpower. It’s a disability that holds people back from reaching their potential. Like any other disorder, autistic people need to work to overcome it and learn to find ways to interact with others better, not expect the world to change to suit them.

Well, that's why some autistic people end up masking; it is a coping strategy when you get thrown into the teenage & adult world and need to well, 'cope'. But it isn't ideal; effectively you constantly study and mimic normal behaviour, rather than naturally behave normally. It is tiring and only works with mild autism, but it does allow you to hold down a normal job and even be successful because to the outside world you look and behave normal (mostly), but on the inside you are anything but.

Behavioural and communication therapy are now also coping strategies, but they weren't around yet when I was young. Like myself, some mild autistic people of my generation subconsciously learnt to mask during school & Uni. But it gets more difficult with age and some like myself only realise much later in life that they have been masking and that that is neither normal social behaviour, nor very healthy in the long run.

autism.org.uk: masking

When you say autistic people should not expect the world to change to suit them; I don't know where that came from but as far as I can tell autistic people from experience generally don't have much in the way of expectations re. the world around them. It is the other way around, it is the world around them that wants autistic people to change, but it is a neurodivergent condition for which there is no cure. Suggesting autistic people should not expect the world to change to suit them is not much different from suggesting a wheelchair user should just learn to cope and not expect buses, trains, or toilets to be accessible. There are many outdated rigid workplace practices and conventions that can or could be adapted to suit autistic people.

EDIT: @castleofargh: I know that @71 dB posted this here, but should this be moved to @Ghoostknight's Autism and Audio thread? This is getting very off topic for this thread (nothing new there ) and is seeing 332 viewers as I type this edit...

 

[Davesrose]

Albert Einstein lived before autism was a diagnosis. Saying he was autistic is pure speculation. Autism is not a superpower. It’s a disability that holds people back from reaching their potential. Like any other disorder, autistic people need to work to overcome it and learn to find ways to interact with others better, not expect the world to change to suit them.

Reminds me of speculation that Abraham Lincoln was gay. We're now far removed from the culture of pre-war Germany-and how scientists would find their way for their education. When it comes to the "evidence" of Lincoln was that while boarding, he would share the bed with other men. Including a time in which he had a general store practice with Joshua Steed, where they shared a bedroom. But that was a common thing in the 19th century-where there could be several boarders sharing a bed (especially Lincoln in his younger years where he often was paid in barter). The speculation also then goes to letters, where he might write fondly of male friends. But writing has changed...even the meaning of the word gay.

 

[bigshot]

When you say autistic people should not expect the world to change to suit them; I don't know where that came from but as far as I can tell autistic people from experience generally don't have much in the way of expectations re. the world around them. It is the other way around, it is the world around them that wants autistic people to change, but it is a neurodivergent condition for which there is no cure.

Hopefully they will find a cure or a way to prevent it in the not too distant future. When I say that autistic people shouldn’t expect the world to change to suit them, I mean that the world isn’t set up to suit anyone. We all have problems and limitations… even the people who appear successful on the surface. They have their own problems to deal with. There are a million ways to suffer. No one gets a free ride. But the people who accomplish things are the ones who focus on overcoming, not surrendering to their particular problem.

I have friends who are autistic, ADD, OCD and a variety of other similar problems. The ones who do the best aren’t necessarily the ones nearest to normal. It’s the ones that make an effort to communicate clearly and ask others for clarification when they need it. They’re the ones that put their ability to focus to good use, not fritter it away on trivia. They make an effort to support the people around them, not use them. We all need to be empathetic to others, even if we aren’t born empathetic. Most of all, they think about who they are and what they want to do and chart a course to improve their situation.

People lead happy and fulfilling lives with all sorts of disabilities. But they don’t do that if they use their problems as an excuse or try to pretend it’s a superpower. They deal with their problems head on and look upon them as things that can be worked on, worked with, and improved. That isn’t masking. That’s looking at the horizon, not behind yourself.

 

[2leftears]

People lead happy and fulfilling lives with all sorts of disabilities. But they don’t do that if they use their problems as an excuse or try to pretend it’s a superpower. They deal with their problems head on and look upon them as things that can be worked on, worked with, and improved. That isn’t masking. That’s looking at the horizon, not behind yourself.

I suspect you may have misread @71 dB's post. He didn't claim autism is a superpower, quite the opposite, nor is he using it as an excuse.

The way I read it he was merely saying that autistic people have the normal range of possible personal problems and disabilities to deal with that non-autistic people do but on top of that there is this immutable neurodivergent hurdle and associated communication hurdle to deal with. His reference to 'superpowers' was that if you are particularly skilled in some area (regardless of your disability, autistic or not), that can often compensate in terms of people accepting you and accommodating specific needs or behavioural quirks, at least as far as being able to function in normal society. He just thinks (rightly or wrongly) that he isn't particularly skilled enough, and that the skillset he does have is not one for which there are many employment opportunities in which he could excel. That is not the same as him blaming autism for his (self-perceived) lack of success, nor claiming that autism is a superpower; merely that it was a compounding factor in the way things have turned out for him.

 

[castleofargh]

EDIT: @castleofargh: I know that @71 dB posted this here, but should this be moved to @Ghoostknight's Autism and Audio thread? This is getting very off topic for this thread (nothing new there ) and is seeing 332 viewers as I type this edit...

I can't move posts. There is something funny in the moderation ability hierarchy, where I'm free to delete all I want, even entire threads in one go, and have yet to get any remark about it, but I cannot move posts or edit them if just one insult ruins an otherwise interesting post.
Seriously IDK, I could do all that on the previous forum(I could even ban people, my power was unlimited, muhahahaha). It's either that nobody realized all the power I had back then, or that they don't know/don't care that I'm missing them now. Probably first option

I have given up on dealing with off topics, nobody cares enough to stop himself from doing it(myself included), and very few have, like you, the conscience to notice when it's starting to be a long one that probably should stop. When I made a thread about getting harder moderation for off topics, that thread went off topic!

 

[2leftears]

I can't move posts. There is something funny in the moderation ability hierarchy, where I'm free to delete all I want, even entire threads in one go, and have yet to get any remark about it, but I cannot move posts or edit them if just one insult ruins an otherwise interesting post.
Seriously IDK, I could do all that on the previous forum(I could even ban people, my power was unlimited, muhahahaha). It's either that nobody realized all the power I had back then, or that they don't know/don't care that I'm missing them now. Probably first option

I have given up on dealing with off topics, nobody cares enough to stop himself from doing it(myself included), and very few have, like you, the conscience to notice when it's starting to be a long one that probably should stop. When I made a thread about getting harder moderation for off topics, that thread went off topic!

I found the thread you referred to.

Good suggestion to just post a link to a new (or existing other) thread to continue the OT discussion, or to post it in a spoiler tag and rename it "Off-Topic".

And yes, it would be good if moderators had the powers to move posts, although that would mean more work for you (if not a new day-job ).

 

[71 dB]

Albert Einstein lived before autism was a diagnosis. Saying he was autistic is pure speculation. Autism is not a superpower. It’s a disability that holds people back from reaching their potential. Like any other disorder, autistic people need to work to overcome it and learn to find ways to interact with others better, not expect the world to change to suit them.

Autism is a spectrum and many autistic people do have "superpowers" (and also mild to severe weaknesses) neurotypicals don't have. Autism is a practical disability in a World made for neurotypical people. Nothing holds autistic people (at least high functioning) back in a World made for them, but we don't live in such a World.

It is easy for neurotypicals to tell autistic people to find ways to interact with others better, but it is like telling a short person to become a great basketball player or to tell a black person to become white to avoid racism against black people. I can try to behave like a neurotypical person. I can try to learn and imitate what they do (to me most of it is just weird), but it all is VERY mental energy consuming. I do it an hour or do and I am totally exhausted.

Autistic people communicate for the most part to exhange information, not to make other people feel good. It has nothing to do with me not liking other people. Autistic people can have deep feelings inside. Autistic people can like other people a lot. They just lack the mental capacity to "easily" express those feelings. According to online tests my dominant cognitive function is introverted intuition and my secondary cognitive function is extroverted thinking. I am very good at pointing out BS and finding solutions to problems*. That's why I can call out all the BS related to audio for example, but also in other areas such as politics. I recognise conmen miles away instantly. However, my tertiary cognitive function is introverted feeling. This means I have feelings inside me and they can be very strong, because I am bad at controlling them. I even"live and feel" the possible future scenarios my introverted intuition comes up with. I may feel sadness for a negative things that might happen (but doesn't). As the World has been in turmoil lately, this has been very hard time for me emotionally (so many negative future possibilities). Lastly, extroverted sensing is my inferior cognitive function. I am bad at being aware of my surroundings. My brain processing raw data from my senses poorly. Sensations such as cold water on my skin feels very intense for me, almost as bad as hot water. I am also physically a bit clumsy and for example learning complex body movements (e.g. dancing) is very difficult for me. I can't play any instrument and I feel I could never learn. For me the skill to play piano is incomprehensible. How can anyone do that?

* The door locking mechanism of a cheap 100 € strong-box broke. The strong-box was modified to be half of as deep as originally by paying a welder to do it. Buying a new strong-box (same model) would require paying the welder again. Flat strong-boxes of half the deepness are not sold. Solution? Buy a new 100 € strong-box and take the door with functioning locking mechanism off it and replace the broken door with it. Sounds easy, but the truth is most neurotypical people can't come up with this kind of "out of the box" solutions. I am the one who comes up with solutions like this.

 

[71 dB]

When I say that autistic people shouldn’t expect the world to change to suit them, I mean that the world isn’t set up to suit anyone.

Well, the World is set up for people who are born in filty rich families. Other people need to actually work hard to make it in life. However, because of how the World is structured, some people face less challenges in life than others even if almost all people face challenges. As they say, autistic people solve the problems in the World behind the scenes and then extroverted charismatic neurotypical people come and take the credit for solving the problems, because that's their superpower. Extroversion is visible in this World while introversion is kind of invisible. I am not completely insivible, I have to add: People suddenly notice me when I am standing in their way to give an example. People might ask me to make room acknowledging my existence, but most of the time I am kind of invisible.

We all have problems and limitations… even the people who appear successful on the surface. They have their own problems to deal with. There are a million ways to suffer. No one gets a free ride. But the people who accomplish things are the ones who focus on overcoming, not surrendering to their particular problem.

I completely agree. I have my problems, but I also don't have many problems other people have. The problems I have are more or less typical to autistic people and when the discussion is about such problem, I am one of those who have them. If the conversation is about other kind of problems, chances are I don't have them. Autistic people may struggle more with outer World, but the flip side is autistic people may have very rich inner World. I don't need to live in a megamansion to be happy. I don't need to own 10 yacths and 20 cars to be happy. I don't need to own the best headphones in the World to enjoy music (Sennheiser HD-598 + DIY HP amp/crossfeeder does it for me). That's because I have a rich wonderful World inside my head. Other people don't see it, but I do. Meanwhile an extroverted person might need constant stimulation from outer World to feel alive and not get bored (I NEVER feel bored. Never.). Being me has it's benefits and downsides. In that sense I am not complaining and saying I have it worse than others. I am saying I am autistic and it causes me certain type of hardships in life.

I have friends who are autistic, ADD, OCD and a variety of other similar problems. The ones who do the best aren’t necessarily the ones nearest to normal. It’s the ones that make an effort to communicate clearly and ask others for clarification when they need it.

Ask clarification about what? What is unclear and needs clarification?

They’re the ones that put their ability to focus to good use, not fritter it away on trivia. They make an effort to support the people around them, not use them. We all need to be empathetic to others, even if we aren’t born empathetic. Most of all, they think about who they are and what they want to do and chart a course to improve their situation.

That's what I try to do. I consider myself very honest person who people can trust. I don't promise the Moon from the sky, but I keep my promises. I am on time and if I am not, it is not my fault, but a force majeure situation. I don't have problem with people. I have an issue with things like social norms (and the social skills associated with them), which can seem unnecessary, tiresome and even irrational to autistic people.

A few years ago I didn't even know I am autistic. I tried to be neurotypical pretty hard and that was mentally very taxing. I didn't understand how other people have it so easy doing all the social interaction. Now I know better and I don't try so hard anymore. Instead I make a limited effort. That makes life easier for me. It helps that I also understand neurotypical people better and how they are different from me.

People lead happy and fulfilling lives with all sorts of disabilities. But they don’t do that if they use their problems as an excuse or try to pretend it’s a superpower. They deal with their problems head on and look upon them as things that can be worked on, worked with, and improved. That isn’t masking. That’s looking at the horizon, not behind yourself.

I don't know how fulfilling other people experience their lives. I can't compare my life to their lives. I work to improve things, but it is very slow process. I might have some kind of mild learning disability, but I am not sure. It might be about how I learn things and if the material of learning is in that format or not. As a system thinker I learn the logical connections between things. If new things are presented to me in a form that doesn't emphaze these logical connections, I struggle a lot. Just memorizing a list of logically unrelated things, say the capital cities of countries, is hard for me. My brain doesn't know how to store such information. On the flip side learning very logical stuff such as math and logical principles is somewhat easy to me.