George M. Middius wrote:

Why "accuracy"? For certain Usenet poseurs, this is the question that dare
not speak its name.

Normals and 'borgs alike would surely accept that the purpose of an audio
system is to enable us to enjoy listening to recorded music. Normals choose
the pieces of a system that maximizes listening pleasure. How does praying
to the god of "accuracy" help attain that end?

**A good question, with no simple answer. However, I would suggest to
that, rather than asking "why accuracy"? The question might more
accurately be: "WHICH innaccuracy, how much innaccuracy and under what
conditions?" IOW: IT is a can 'o worms.

There is not much point in attempting to use a system with clear and
obvious innacuracies. Let me explain:

Suppose a listener has a speaker system which exhibits a pronounced
'peak' at (say) 10kHz. That listener will probably tend to seek out an
amplifier which suffers a 'suckout' at roughly that frequency. He/she
will forever be 'locked into' using faulty amplifiers to complement
his/her faulty speakers.

Of course, that is a rather rough and ready example, but you get the idea.

On a more subtle level, I can draw your attention to several experiences
I've had:

Many years ago, I worked for Marantz Australia. At that time, the
company was importing one of the Tushinsky Brothers' more bizarre
products - a Pianocorder.

http://www.pianocorder.info/.

Essentially a forerunner to the Yamaha Disklavier.

Anyway, the Pianocorder duly arrived, installed in a Baldwin upright
piano and along with the obligatory piano technician to set the thing
up. I listened to it (this was ca. 1977, BTW) and declared that I would
rather listen to my home stereo, playing an LP. I was labelled a
Philistine, for not enjoyed the sound of a live piano. "Oh well" I
thought. "They must be right".

A few weeks later, I was required to assist in the set up for equipment
at the Sydney Opera House for a public release of the Pianocorder. From
the first few notes, I was awe-struck. It was faulous. Cable of much
more than any one human could manage. The sound of the piano was
delightful. I asked what had changed. "Oh, we're using a different
piano." said the tech. It made all the difference. I can well imagine
that anyone listening to an inferior piano through their system, would
go to heroic lengths to make the sound acceptable.

I find Musique Concrete rather horrible to listen to. The better (ie:
more accurate) the system, the worse it sounds. Some Stavinsky material
can be quite 'hard' on the ear as well (through an accurate system).

Fundamentally, however, when one actively inserts innaccuracy into a
system, then ALL the music will suffer. The pleasant and the not so
pleasant.

Trevor Wilson

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