Subjective sound quality is authoritative and measurements must explain it

Evidence

If something sounds “wrong”, it is wrong. The task is to identify measurements that explain why it sounds wrong and, more importantly, to identify those measurements that contribute to it sounding “right”, so it can be done again. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1049

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clarifies the correct role of measurement relative to subjective judgment in audio engineering.
• XREF: connects to: Judged pleasantness does not track the physical quality of a sound — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1078; Whether a sound counts as noise depends on subjective interpretation, not acoustics — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1025