My point is people tend to dumb down results of sighted or blind tests without doing any real statistical analysis to determine the merit of the test or its results.
Fine, agreed, but
how people interpret the data from blind testing is an entirely separate issue from whether they
are required for perceptual threshold or distinction testing. Hopefully we can agree on the latter as well.
Several reviewers of my staff were convinced all amps sound the same
That is absurd. Please don't take offense, but if true, you need new staff or
lots of staff training/education.
Anyone with technical literacy knows different amplifier designs
can (not necessarily
do) sound different when driving loudspeakers. There is no mystery there whatsoever.
Or anything that measurements (or metrics, such as GedLee, etc.) can't explain.
I in fact did conduct a listening test switching between two amps (a really poorly designed Class D from Panasonic, and a mid priced Yamaha receiver). Every listener in the room heard a clear difference between the amps most notably in bass and with speakers that exhibited low impedance below 60Hz. Both amps were not driven near clipped levels and the listeners had no idea which amp they were listening to at any given time.
Was this a surprise?
Poorly designed Class D vs AB...differences heard. Even blind. Hmmm
.
How an amp interacts with a speaker is a complex topic and whether or NOT listeners can identify the sonic differences in a particular listening room and program material is even more complex.
Sure it's complex. But it certainly doesn't mean it's mystical and unsolvable. It requires robust applications of the scientific method, NOT dismissal and a belief that only sighted, uncontrolled, bias overloaded "listening" is appropriate.
I am all for blind and controlled tests but often see too many people religiously clinging to them as absolutes for all situations (ie. all amps sound the same, all CD players sound the same, etc).
I have
never seen a technically literate person state any such thing (ie. all amps sound the same, all CD players sound the same, etc).
Never. If anyone could provide a
direct quote or link, please do so.
What I
have seen, is the so called "subjectivist" religion, erect that very strawman argument. That because 2 (or more) DUT's were found to be indistinguishable without guessing, under test conditions, that
all DUT's "sound the same". They are the only ones I've seen make such illogical and preposterous assertions and conflations.
Be careful to not fall into this trap that I've often found myself falling into in the past since my background has a heavy basis in engineering and science.
Duly noted. And you be careful inserting prices before electrical components when asserting (soundwave) perceptual differences
.
Now what was all this about a
loudspeaker shootout Gene??
cheers,
AJ