Blind Listening Tests?

Don, I'm not sure anyone here doubts the merits of a blind test. I think what your referring to must be those threads that the subject is so easy to hear that anyone who would suggest a blind test must have no idea what there talking about. That said there are many tweaks and components that have subtle changes that some might exaggerate in there reviews. For almost every piece of equipment including cables, wires, conditioners, footers etc. that I've tried I will have a couple friends over to do my listening. I don't tell them what they are listening to or for, I will generally have only one person over at a time, and they sit in the sweat spot with a blindfold. I will have them bring over two or three disks that they themselves know well and use as reference. I will run the switching and they are to write there response , ie #1 base sound, #2 brighter, #3 less detail,... Some times I make no change, sometimes I'll put in an old power cord. I try to mix it up so I receive the best, most un-bias opinion I can. The total process takes about an hour and a half. When I'm asked to come over to their house I bring my blindfold and we do the same drill. It's a great way to share your system with friends and it really helps me to learn to listen. After about five minutes with the blind fold you really start focusing on your ears. I would guess most of us do something similar, and we have neglected to discuss this as a part of selecting equipment. Thus your post is very timely and should be considered for a good place for people to describe how they test equipment. So thank-you Don for the post, I look forward to hearing what others do. J.D.

Hey Detlof, can I tell my wife you recommended I invite a few women over each week-end? Is there an age I should look for? J.D.

Sorry Detlof, humor is not allowed on any Audiogon thread. I've now led you down the wrong path. I've got a -3,-1 for my humor and only a +2,+2 for what I thought was a good discription of blind testing. Oh well, rather the meek have the chance to punch there little down thumb than coming out in public disaproval of a joke. Come on you negitive voters, have the guts to write out your disaproval! J.D.
P.S. 16, I'll keep that in mind. I can easaly find them around a house with an 18 year old son and a 16 year old daughter. I let you know what I find ( I was going to say something else, but the panel of voters are watching)

Well Detlof, I can not begin to thank-you for your insites. I had to finally ask the six 24 year old women to leave. We sure learned alot. Oh and we listened to the system too, the verdict, there are those who believe and those who don't. Of the ones who believe a group of them have amazing sounding systems and are not concerned with the viewpoint of those who don't believe. If those who don't believe want to stand on there "scientific" belief great, too bad for them for there lose. If you've followed the threads of the na-sayers above I think you'll find there experiences are few and there view points limited. It's clearly not worth the energy to try to help these people find great sound, they are not here for that. They only want to prove there great knowledge and little practical experience. The best test, six women, mid twenties, thanks buddy! J.D.

I'm lost now, I've got USA, Italy, France and Japan going. I guess I can still click in that Philips helped develope my SACD! Detlof, My experiments went on for days, it's tough keeping six women entertained, oh and we had the stereo thing too. Lights off is good to start, you'ld hate to scare them all away. When morning arrives they just want more, more power that is. That's when you break out the big one, ah the Krell, yea that's it the Krell. Good luck my friend, pace your self and don't try all the positions, ah for speakers I mean the first night.

I am sooooo mad! I've held back from all of you on this blind testing thing, and now... Geeze I'm mad!
I've been running a controlled lab test using 150 non-related white rats from all over the world. I've had each one implanted with an electrode at the stem of there brain to monitor there reaction to sound. Of the 150 total, 20 were set as a control group and only listened to standard power cords. The rest had varying periods with standard cords and periods with differing "designer cords" I was 5 1/5 months into a six month study when it appears that either 70242.241 or P.E.T.A. broke into my lab, broke my computers and released all the rats. This of course is not only the end of my study, but sadly the end of the rats. The implants do not allow these rats to hear anything unless they are plugged in to there headphones. So sadly they are perfect targets for cats, birds and cars. I found two squished outside my lab this morning. A full investigation will be conducted to find these audio haters. Luck for all of us, all my records were backed up and in a safe here at home. I can only share preliminary findings at this time, but the results are startling.
First glaring fact, and I might add a major concern has to do with my control group. It seems that of the 20 rats exposed only to standard power cords, 15 of them (that's 75% for you scientists) have a rare form of inner ear cancer! Coincidence, I think not. This alone is worth the value of the study, but some other facts can also be gleamed from this preliminary information. It was found that in 90% of the cases the rats had lower heart rates and greater brain activities when exposed to designer cords. Conversely while rats were exposed to standard power cords the brain waves were identical to Jeffry Dommer. Coincidence I think not. Now each rat was exposed to differing amounts of time with designer cords, and some very interesting facts came to light. There was a direct correlation between the amount of time on a designer cord and there I.Q. along with there taste in music. It seems that the control group were only settled when top 40's pop was played. The next level group (20% designer cord) were only content when listening to disco and country. On the other end of the spectrum, the group exposed to 80% designer cords preferred classical and jazz, but not any jazz, Coltrane and Davis it seems were there preferred choices. The group with 100% exposure seem to show a very wide array or musical preference, but oddly they only seemed truely content with high quality recordings. Coincidence, I think not. Now I had also discussed the variance in I.Q. This study was not intended to measure an I.Q. to power cord relationship, so all this is subject to further study. We did have a series of rudimentary tasks we asked each rat to preform, and while not conclusive it was of interest. The control group was able to successfully complete only 15% of the tasks while the group exposed to 60% or more designer cord were completing the tasks with 100% success. Now this in it's self is not indicative of I.Q. alone, but could also be explained with there level of contentment. The startling fact was that the group exposed to 100% designer cords would ONLY except the Wall Street Journal for the bottom of there cage. Coincidence, I think not.
Sadly for all who are interested in the "advancement of high quality audio" A.O.H.Q.A. due to the alarmingly high percentage of cancer cases in the control group, the entire study must be sent to The National Cancer Research Facility for further review. So the results will not be made public until a conclusion can be arrived at regarding the cancer issues.
In the mean time I am starting a new group to combat the sick people of P.E.T.A. I'm calling it P.E.T.A.F.F. (People eating tasty animals for fun) If your interested in joining just let me know.
J.D.

Just a quick thank-you to all who have expressed there enjoyment of my post, it's nice to see we can have a little fun without taking our selves too seriously. I doubt too many of you will believe this, but the 20 rats exposed to designer cords were found in my lab this morning when I came in to clean up. It seems they let themselves in through the air conditioning vent and were able to assemble a very crude electronic synthesizer. The twenty of them were working as a team (orchestra of sorts) and producing the most incredible variation of Mozart's "First Movement (Allegro) from Sonata No.15 in C Major". Coincidence, Oh I truthfully think not! J.D.

Sorry Dekay, I'm not actually related to anyone who would claim me.

70242.241, How could there be an inverse relationship between price and proformance? I thought you just finished enlightening us on how there can be NO difference. Kind of proving yourself to be a bit two faced, huh. CHAH!