Audio measurements for dummies

[alexk0il]

Trying to wrap my brain around the extensive measurements published by the ASR. Well, the meaning of the SINAD measurements are quite easy to digest, though I suspect my ears won't be able to pick up a difference between 118 and 121db, so the value of these measurements is a bit limited for me.

Other measurements are less obvious for me, maybe someone can point me to the right direction, not necessarily on ASR web-site:

• What measurement to look at to distinguish a "lean" sound from "full bodied"?
• Is there a chart that tells how wide the staging is?
• Is there a chart that tells if the sound is flat or dynamic?

Thanks

[Macca]

Trying to wrap my brain around the extensive measurements published by the ASR. Well, the meaning of the SINAD measurements are quite easy to digest, though I suspect my ears won't be able to pick up a difference between 118 and 121db, so the value of these measurements is a bit limited for me.

Other measurements are less obvious for me, maybe someone can point me to the right direction, not necessarily on ASR web-site:

• What measurement to look at to distinguish a "lean" sound from "full bodied"?
• Is there a chart that tells how wide the staging is?
• Is there a chart that tells if the sound is flat or dynamic?

Thanks

There's ways to determine all of those things from measurements but since they will be the result of a number of relevant factors there's no one measurement that will define each one. For example both the room acoustic and the recording being played will affect in how wide the staging will be so it's going to be situation dependant.

You can say from looking at the horizontal directivity plot if a speaker is able to put out a wide soundstage or not, though.

[alexk0il]

There's ways to determine all of those things from measurements but since they will be the result of a number of relevant factors there's no one measurement that will define each one. For example both the room acoustic and the recording being played will affect in how wide the staging will be so it's going to be situation dependant.

You can say from looking at the horizontal directivity plot if a speaker is able to put out a wide soundstage or not, though.

I guess I should have been more specific and restricted the scope of my question to DACs or amps. Are there any charts that can tell if one dac has a wider stage or fuller sound than another?

[Macca]

I guess I should have been more specific and restricted the scope of my question to DACs or amps. Are there any charts that can tell if one dac has a wider stage or fuller sound than another?

a fuller sound might be a result of a very early roll off in FR. But soundstage differences in electronics is more of an ephemerous concept. There's a theory that noise uncorrelated to the signal might give a perception of air and space. Hence why some people think vinyl has a bigger soundstage than digital. But as far as I'm aware there's no evidence for this beyond some people's personal perception. So I'd have to say no.