Control-room design choices rest on preference, not validated science

Evidence

There is no obvious attempt to relate the control room acoustical experience to that of the consumer—the all-important “translation”. There is no reported science that includes double-blind subjective evaluations of any of the designs, just opinions from recording engineers who may or may not have damaged hearing (an occupational hazard). It is believed by many in pro audio that the choice of monitor loudspeakers is a personal thing. So, we seem to be in a situation where individual recording engineers choose loudspeakers and control room designs on the basis of preference, without regard for existing science, or concerns about validating whether “translation” is possible. None of the control-room designs being discussed is likely to occur in homes, or even custom home theaters. This is not rational. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 335

Categorization

• XREF: This mirrors the book’s persistent argument that audio design choices often lack double-blind subjective testing—the same theme Toole applies to loudspeaker evaluation throughout.