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<blockquote data-quote="helotaxi" data-source="post: 387627" data-attributes="member: 550915"><p>Sound Quality is not measured, per se.&nbsp; It can&#039;t be.&nbsp; The closest thing to measurement that can be done is feeding the system pink noise (full spectrum signal that sounds like static) and measuring the output of the system on a real-time Analyzer (a device that measures the level of each of a selected group of frequencies across the aubible spectrum).&nbsp; The ideal would be for each frequency to be at the same level.&nbsp; This set up usually sounds awful.&nbsp; It also fails to measure the things that make music musical such as dynamics, tonal balance, imaging and staging.&nbsp; These things can only be judged subjectively.&nbsp; The organizations that sanction SQ competitions have gone to great lengths to try to objectify these criteria as much as possible and train the judges in what to listen for.&nbsp; The ideal on which everything is based is 5th row center at a live concert.&nbsp; The closer to this ideal the car sounds the higher it should score.&nbsp; The sound should be coming from in front of you and at about eye level.&nbsp; It should seem to extend outside the confines of the car to the left and right.&nbsp; That is imaging.&nbsp; You should be able to place where each instument would be on the imaginary stage.&nbsp; That is staging.&nbsp; A drum should have a sharp attack and fairly quick decay.&nbsp; Loud passages should be loud and soft passages should be soft and there should be a clear distinction between the two.&nbsp; That is dynamics.&nbsp; Lastly, a sax should sound like a sax.&nbsp; A female singer shouldn&#039;t sound like she has a cold.&nbsp; A bass shoudn&#039;t sound like someone &quot;playing the washtub.&quot;&nbsp; No frequencies should be more emphasized than others.&nbsp; This is tonal accuracy and balance.&nbsp; The last criteria is how the whole thing comes together.&nbsp; The system should be pleasing to listen to for extended periods and not tiring to the ears.&nbsp; I can&#039;t really describe how that sounds.&nbsp; You have to actually hear a system that has that quality and one that doesn&#039;t to understand it.&nbsp; That is SQ in a nutshell.</p></blockquote><p></p>

[QUOTE="helotaxi, post: 387627, member: 550915"] Sound Quality is not measured, per se. It can't be. The closest thing to measurement that can be done is feeding the system pink noise (full spectrum signal that sounds like static) and measuring the output of the system on a real-time Analyzer (a device that measures the level of each of a selected group of frequencies across the aubible spectrum). The ideal would be for each frequency to be at the same level. This set up usually sounds awful. It also fails to measure the things that make music musical such as dynamics, tonal balance, imaging and staging. These things can only be judged subjectively. The organizations that sanction SQ competitions have gone to great lengths to try to objectify these criteria as much as possible and train the judges in what to listen for. The ideal on which everything is based is 5th row center at a live concert. The closer to this ideal the car sounds the higher it should score. The sound should be coming from in front of you and at about eye level. It should seem to extend outside the confines of the car to the left and right. That is imaging. You should be able to place where each instument would be on the imaginary stage. That is staging. A drum should have a sharp attack and fairly quick decay. Loud passages should be loud and soft passages should be soft and there should be a clear distinction between the two. That is dynamics. Lastly, a sax should sound like a sax. A female singer shouldn't sound like she has a cold. A bass shoudn't sound like someone "playing the washtub." No frequencies should be more emphasized than others. This is tonal accuracy and balance. The last criteria is how the whole thing comes together. The system should be pleasing to listen to for extended periods and not tiring to the ears. I can't really describe how that sounds. You have to actually hear a system that has that quality and one that doesn't to understand it. That is SQ in a nutshell. [/QUOTE]

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