[jdandy]

Originally Posted by damacman

I'll likely be banned . . . but . . .

Only in audio can such claims be made with no other basis than glowing conjecture. I'm three decades in the hobby, spent two in the industry, and of that two I spent nearly a decade training audio professionals. In that time, I met many folks worlds smarter, wiser, and more objective than I. Designers, engineers, great thinkers - all of whom had their feet firmly planted in science. Scientific method. Repeat ability. Objectivity. All in an effort to separate fact from fiction. I have personally set up demonstrations to prove that science in fact dictates the outcome. Such demonstrations are not well received or embraced when the results contradict the position held on a given topic so they're not often done - which is a real shame.

Guys, at what point do we take a step back and ask ourselves do we embrace the laws of physics or don't we? An example . . . I was researching a new drug for my girlfriend's daughter over lunch today for an illness that she has. The drug company clearly spells out that some in the trial get the actual drug while others get a placebo. There is a reason for this - our psyche is a very powerful thing. This is science.

I can wax my hot rod and it sure seems to me that it runs smoother, has better throttle response, etc. - it doesn't.

Ivan - if you toss me out on my head, I'll hold no grudge.

damacman.......Science is a wonderful thing and on countless occasions has brought forth a plethora of remarkably astonishing discoveries that have both helped and hindered mankind. Not for a minute does that comment mean science is not also about failure after failure, theory after theory never proving the original hypothesis. Science is not a panacea for truth under all circumstances. Is it a necessary and respected discipline? Of course. Like you, I have met many designers, engineers, and great thinkers in my seven plus decades on Earth. Not one, including myself, has ever claimed to be the bearer of infinite wisdom. The general consensus usually ends by acknowledging that the more one knows about a particular discipline the more one comes to understand how little is really known.

I am not offended by your comments. Thoughts such as those you mentioned are the genesis of contradictions helping support endless discussions in the audio community. You are certainly entitled to support whichever philosophical opinions that provide you with the greatest sense of comfort. Either way, my experiences are mine, as are the words I use to convey my conclusions to those who read them. If for no other purpose, my opinions can be viewed as entertainment, a moment in time that allows one to be temporarily disconnected from the chores of life. I am not disturb in any negative manner by the thoughts of others with respect to my elucidations.


Now, back to my thread. My 50+ years of owning and playing with high-end audio, sharing space and time with sophisticated audiophiles, ingenious inventors, successful business owners, and a multitude of educated friends around the world who share my interests in audio has been extremely rewarding. As the years have past I have been able to develop a keen sense of hearing, a sharpened awareness for sonic anomalies, and an inherent ability to identify what sonic performances please me and those that do not capture my soul. I have learned how to listen. Can I measure these various traits I have nurtured all these years? No, but I can make an effort to share my experiences with others as I hear them and see fit to express my thoughts. How my personal experiences are interpreted by readers is beyond the scope of my control. I have no agenda to sell anything, only to share my experiences in hope that they provide some measure of assistance to others. I believe I have been successful in that endeavor. For me it is a hobby, a past time, something I do for fun to keep myself occupied and happy. That is the grand sum total of what I have to give. To you, my words are only worth what you think they are worth. And so it is with everything else we are exposed to in life.