Are us audiophiles like expert wine tasters?

[Deang]

Low budget Elden.

[Jim Naseum]

 

So, we must conclude that Coke and Pepsi taste "pretty much the same", people seated in a nice restaurant can't tell if the meal has been microwaved, and a $200 Pioneer receiver sounds the same as a pair of Mark Levinson monoblocks (Stereo Review).

Richard Clark has 10 grand waiting for anybody who can tell the difference between them if you follow his rules.

http://tom-morrow-land.com/tests/ampchall/

 

 

It's an old story, and of course no one could tell the difference. It would be impossible under those rules. But watch how easy it is to demonstrate the invalidity of that kind of test. Ready?

 

Imagine two 8 x 10 photographs of the Brooklyn Bridge and surrounds. Both taken from the same spot, but one is a minute after the other, and therefore captures different people on the bridge. Now, obviously the two pictures are different as anyone can see by laying them on the table and comparing them. But, that's not the test. 

 

The test box is a closed box with a 1/4" narrow slit that runs from side to side. The pictures are placed in the box, behind the slit, and they are "played" by rolling them from bottom to top across the slit, in 15 seconds. You watching what appears in the slit as it rolls by. You see the whole picture, but not the whole picture at once. You run the standard AB/X method. You will never be able to pass this test, even though it is an absolute fact that the two pictures are different. 

 

The reason is obvious -The brain doesn't "capture" a song. You hear only the instantaneous value of sound, and never do you have the whole of A to compare to the whole of B. Just like sliding the picture across the narrow slot. 

 

Our preferences don't work the way AB/X testing works. That's so obvious it is silly. 

[Pete H]

A goat would have been low budget, but we all have some of those fugly, I mean funny memories.   Not with goats, girls. 

[dtel]

A goat would have been low budget, but we all have some of those fugly, I mean funny memories.   Not with goats, girls. 

 

 

Just because I was willing to admit it, I know I am not the only one   

 

 humans only

[Old_Klipsch_Guy]

I guess it's true. In a double blind test, no one could see a difference in Bose and Klipsch. 

But, only deaf people really like Bose.... joking. There was an old joke around Klipsch that Paul met Amar Bose at the AES Convention. Amar cupped his hands to his mouth (like a horn) and said "Hello Paul!". In return, Paul turned his back to him (like a rear-facing speaker) and said "Hello, Amar!". I never could get a straight answer from him on whether that actually happened...

 

I agree. It's akin to asking what is the best smell, or the best taste. If you are judging your speakers on the opinions of others, you're not spending enough time listening and deciding for yourself.