Originally Posted by
davef
James,
The background of my entire career in this industry is to try and correlate what we hear with measurements, and I am still not there - nor do I suspect this industry will ever be. We all hear differently and the biggest mistake one can make is to trust one's own hearing.
As measurement technology improves, so does our ability to at least make an estimate as to what we can expect to hear. Your method of using sine-wave test tones combined with an SPL meter to try and determine how a speaker measures (ie sounds like) is very flawed, and a method that was thrown away over 30 years ago.
First off, sine wave test tones excite only a specific frequency, so unless you are able to run 1/12th octave test tones (12 test tones per each octave), your data is basically not usable.
Second, sine wave test tones are steady state signals, they are not music and can actually be quite damaging to a speaker (especially a ribbon tweeter)
Third, with using your SPL meter to measure ( I assume this is actually a calibrated spl meter, hopefully not an app on a mobile device) - the only thing you are somewhat accurately measuring is the acoustics of your room (and even that is questionable), not the speakers. (this is why this method was thrown in the dumpster so long ago)
And finally, and I must stress this - please do not trust your hearing to even attempt to estimate an actual frequency response measurement. There is nothing more inaccurate than your own hearing and it will take you many, many years of critical listening experience combined with understanding how to take accurate measurements and understanding of the differences between an in-room response and an anechoic response.
My advice to you, throw out all of your current assumptions regarding audio measurements, read as much as you can about using REW (it is a good place to start) and most importantly - about how to interpret those measurements.
Hope this helps!