In article , bob
wrote:
On Jan 4, 1:10*pm, Jenn wrote:
A hotel room? *Not an appropriate place to test what it is that makes a
Strad a Strad: *subtle tonal differences in a performance hall, and the
projection power across all frequency ranges and timbres in such a hall.
This is not a fact; it's a claim. What's more, it's a claim for which
we have (surprise, surprise) no empirical evidence.
Feel free to ask some players who hear and play Strads.
Now, it might be the case that Strads sound better than modern violins
when pushed to their limits in a large hall. But I've never heard
anyone enthusing about the glorious sound of a Strad who noted, "Of
course, you can only really hear the difference in a large hall."
Large isn't the issue.
Which one would you rather take home? *This brings into question the
issue of playability, set up, strings, familiarity, etc.
Then there is the issue of which specific instruments are used. *Not all
Strads or Guarneris or Costcos are equal, obviously.
I'm surprised that those here who preach about biased tests in audio
aren't all over this.
Because there's no bias here. Every violin was tested in the same
environment. Hence, no bias. It would be impossible to test violins in
all environments, of course, but someone who wants to claim that a
different environment would produce a different result assumes the
burden of proof.
If one is testing the tonal qualities of a performance instrument, it
makes sense to perform the test in the environment where the instrument
is to be used. Otherwise, it's like testing the handling ability of an
automobile while the auto is in a garage in park. If one tests the very
thing that makes an instrument special in an environment that is built
to mask those very qualities, the test is biased.
--
www.jennifermartinmusic.com