Editing High-end audio (section)

== Fidelity assessment ==
The fidelity of sound reproduction may be assessed [[hearing (sense)|aurally]] or using [[audio system measurements]].

The human sense of hearing is subjective and difficult to define. [[Psychoacoustics]] is a division of acoustics that studies this field.

Measurements can be deceiving; high or low figures of certain technical characteristics do not necessarily offer a good representation of how the equipment sounds to each person. For example, some [[tube amplifier|valve (vacuum tube) amplifiers]] produce greater amounts of [[total harmonic distortion]], but this type of distortion (2nd harmonic) is not as disturbing to the ear as the higher-order distortions produced by poorly designed transistor equipment.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.stereophile.com/asweseeit/1082awsi/ |title=The truth about high end |first=J. Gordon |last=Holt |date=9 June 2007 |work=Stereophile |access-date=29 August 2020}}</ref>

The validity of certain products is often questioned. These include accessories such as [[speaker wire]]s utilizing exotic materials (such as [[Oxygen-free copper#Use in home audio|oxygen-free copper]])<ref>{{cite web|author1=A. Colin Flood|title=Oxygen Free Copper Wire Worthy of the hype?|url=http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/viewpoint/0714/oxygen_free_copper_wire_hype.htm|website=Enjoy the Music.com|access-date=15 January 2016|date=July 2014}}</ref> and construction geometries, cable stands for lifting them off the floor (as a way to control mechanically induced vibrations), connectors, sprays and other tweaks.<ref>[http://sound.whsites.net/cables.htm Cables, Interconnects and Other Stuff – The Truth]. Sound.westhost.com.</ref>