What Measurements Can—and Can’t—Tell Us About Sound

Measurement is an essential part of loudspeaker design. Without it, consistency, reliability, and repeatability simply aren’t possible. But measurement alone has never told the full story of sound reproduction.

Music is ultimately experienced by human beings, in real rooms, with real recordings, real amplifiers, and real expectations. No single environment or test condition can fully capture how a system will be perceived once it leaves the lab.

The Limits of What We Know

If we’re being honest, sound reproduction is still only partially understood. Taking an educated guess, perhaps 60% of what we know is well defined and measurable. The remaining 40%—how recordings interact with rooms, how drivers behave dynamically, how amplifiers influence perception, and how the brain interprets timing, tone, and space—is still being explored.

Two speakers can measure similarly and sound very different. Two amplifiers can meet the same specifications and evoke completely different emotional responses. Measurements can reveal important information, but they don’t capture everything that matters to listeners.

Lessons From Outside Audio

This isn’t unique to audio. The same reality exists in elite sports. Despite advanced sports science, biomechanics, nutrition, and coaching, there is still an element that escapes complete explanation even beyond just physical differences.

A great example is Major League Baseball pitchers Taylor Rogers and Tyler Rogers (pictured above). They are identical twins, trained in the same sport, yet Taylor pitches left-handed while Tyler pitches 'submariner' and right-handed—their mechanics, release points, and pitch movement are distinctly different. The fundamentals are shared, but the expression is not.

The same can be seen in golf swings, jump shots, or even how musicians approach an instrument. Two people can follow best practices perfectly and still arrive at very different results.

There is an experiential and individual component that data alone cannot fully describe.

Our Design Philosophy

Sound reproduction works much the same way. We all have our own unique swing, our own unique jump shot, and even our own way of strumming a guitar. Over decades of building, repairing, and listening in many different rooms, we’ve developed our own understanding of how speakers behave beyond what shows up on a graph.

We’ve learned from great designers before us—each with their own distinct approach—and we’ve explored a wide range of drivers, crossover topologies, and system configurations. That experience shapes how we design and voice our speakers today.

Conclusion

We don’t treat measurements as an end goal. We treat them as a tool—one of many. They help us validate ideas, maintain consistency, and avoid obvious problems. But final decisions are always guided by careful listening with real music, in real spaces.

Sound reproduction isn’t solved, and that’s part of what makes it interesting. Until it is, we’ll continue designing with equal respect for science, experience, and the parts of music that numbers alone can’t yet explain.