Technical audio decisions need measurement science separate from artistic opinion

Evidence

Whether one likes the art itself is totally a personal, emotional thing. These are subjective/emotional perceptions, not measurable quantities. But there needs to be basic trust in the technical devices involved with the creation of the art and its delivery to consumers, and this requires a belief in measurements and of the science behind them. Opinions totally dominate the artistic content, as they should, but if uncontrolled opinions are allowed to influence the technical portions of the operation, there cannot be a reliable basis for translation. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1956

Categorization

• XREF: Echoes the subjective-versus-objective divide argued throughout engineering culture; connects to audiophile review controversies and to the ‘honest messengers’ metaphor in paragraph 1955.