GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site

In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: Impossibility of commercial seriousness?

Post Subject: I cry over spilled standardsPosted by Steradian on: 2/20/2011

My understanding of Romy's point is that in addition to the designer's perception of what sound shall be, and marketing whore's mischief, we consumers share some of the burden of responsibility for the buying choices presented to us.

I think that most designers begin with the intent to make a piece of equipment with the best sound they know how. However, they then begin to be challenged with dissenting voices about the design choices they made, and subsequently face the choice of whether to change what they designed for the sake of others or to stick with what they believe is right sound. If the consumer refuses to accept what the designer has chosen as best sound to him, the designer might alter the sound to please the consumer's taste.

I am not blaming consumers for the problem. Rather acknowledging that they share some of the blame.

I am doubtful that standards can be agreed upon as to what is best sound. I think many designers sincerely believe they have made best sound, yet they all do not sound the same.

One area where standards have failed is in HDTV. I have no sympathy for the morons who decided to have 2 standards, 720p and 1080i. It is clear they prostrated themselves to corporate bribery to allow such to be called standards. There is absolutely no justification to have an interlaced signal be a standard when no digital display technology benefits from an interlaced input, and the CRT's which can benefit from an interlaced signal are no longer manufactured. 1080p which Blu-ray produces is clearly the standard that should have been chosen when these morons assembled in Washington or wherever to whore themselves to the highest bidders to establish their "standard". Discussion of video is off topic here, but I mention it only in relation to the concept of establishing a standard. Establishing a standard of what shall be correct audio is much more difficult than establishing a simple, uniform standard of video, and even that was botched by our "best and brightest".

There are many people right now watching 4:3 video material stretched to fit a 16:9 screen and don't see anything wrong with it. I suspect a similar distortion of sound is something they have come to accept as normal as well.

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