Lexicon Subjectivism

Subjectivism is a term for an attitude that is frequently encountered among audiophiles. This attitude assigns greater importance and significance to subjective listening impressions in the evaluation of devices and systems than to objective values obtained by measurement.

It is not surprising that such an attitude causes opposition. The resulting disputes have been going on in the hi-fi scene for decades, without any sign that the discussion has become less heated. Various names are given to the opposing side of the subjectivists: Rationalists or Scientists are common examples. It is not uncommon for both sides to use other, more discrediting terms. These include the labels: Gold ear, cable sound listener for the subjectivists - Wood ear, technician, theorist for the rationalists.

There is a whole series of claims that are repeatedly made by the subjectivist side that meet with sharp opposition from the rationalists. A partial list is:

• Components in the signal path degrade the sound, so the number of components must be minimized and their quality maximized.
• Components have an inherent sound, including cables. This is often even said of components that are not in the signal path, such as filter capacitors, or even power cords.
• Countercoupling is bad for the sound and must be avoided.
• Frequencies above 20kHz have an influence on the sound.
• Components, including cables, must be "broken in" - analogous to a new machine that must be run in.

Cables have a preferred direction, if they are operated in the wrong direction the sound suffers.

• Components and cables are subject to Microphonics, so they must be laid and mounted to dampen vibrations (leading to solutions such as Spikes, insulation in equipment, cable feet, ...).
• Analog technology sounds better than digital technology, and tubes sound better than transistors.
• Music is far too complex for the behavior of a system to be adequately determined by simple measurement signals (e.g. Sinus).

The human auditory system is far too complex to be described accurately enough with scientific models.

• Human hearing is superior to any measuring device.
• Blind Tests are inappropriate because they cannot resolve minute differences. They cause too much stress to the tester for his abilities to develop.
• Non-blind hearing tests are more informative and sensitive, a neutral attitude avoids bias and resulting imagined differences.

Scientific counter-arguments are null and void because they contradict perception.

The last argument of the list shows at the same time why the discussion cannot be decided once and for all by an appropriate scientific investigation. The result of the investigation would have to be accepted by all, and there is no reason to hope for this - especially since numerous such investigations have already taken place.

See also:

• Wikipedia article: Audiophiles (in English), Subjectivism
• Douglas Self's article: Science and Subjectivism in Audio (in English)