NO test is vallid unless it is Doubble Blind Test (DBT

[edwinr]

What I find really curious, is the perceived difference between audiophiles; people who are musical professionals; and, those that just love music. Do audiophiles listen more to their equipment? Why are many professional musicians happy to listen to music on budget stereo systems? And those that just love music, are happy to listen on a boom box (my wife, for example). I know there's a lot of cross pollination. Many audiophile love music too. Some musicians own nice sound systems. I reckon only those who have trained their hearing will benefit from DBTs. Sit my wife in a DBT and there's no way she could distinguish between one similar amplifier to another. It's only if you compare a big speaker with a small one would she make comment.

[mike stehr]

QQQQUUUUAAAADDDDRRRROOOOUUUUPPPPLLLLEEEE BBBBLLLLIIIINNNNDDDD TTTTEEEESSSSTTTT (DDDDBBBBTTTT)

[DrWho]

In my 45 years of audio-philing, I haven't met anyone in the hobby yet who doesn't lovingly fondle and adore their HiFi gears.

Well I suppose we haven't met in person, but I most certainly don't fondle/adore my audio equipment...the aesthetic makes absolutely zero impact on my enjoyment of the system.

DBT will show conclusively that the sense of "hearing" alone, is not how people make decisions about what they think "sounds best" in their stereo. Where "sounds best" is a rich and complex subjective judgement based on total perception.

To focus on the total perception should not detract from the value of discussing the purely audible.

Btw, I'm not a huge fan of focussing on the masses because that's not where the utmost in high-fidelity is going to exist...