tobor007
"A 2014 study published in Science Translational Medicine (Harvard medical school) explored
placebo effect
by testing how people reacted to migraine pain medication.
The researchers discovered that the placebo was 50% as effective as the real drug to reduce pain after a migraine attack."
That percentage would pretty much cover the "
significant" difference some people are hearing This is a red herring. The "significant" differences many audiophiles report hearing happen to those who are pretty sure in advance that they actually won't hear any difference. Many real audiophiles start as skeptics, but are willing to experiment. (Of course, some audiophiles claim to be skeptics, but won't experiment with things such as power cables. Those aren't genuine skeptics.)
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prof I had a friend help me blind test it against a
cheap stock power cord. In which case, all the sonic characteristics I
felt so sure I'd heard disappeared and I couldn't for the life of me
distinguish the sound from the cheap power cord. That doesn't sound like a double blind test, so the results aren't scientifically valid.
... when I actually decided to just trust my ears, not my eyes, the high end cable didn't pass that test. Even though the test wasn't scientific, you can't accurately say that the cable "failed" the test. The purpose of a listening test is to determine whether - under the specific circumstances of the test - a difference is detected by a given listener or listeners. The test is only a "failure" if for whatever reason the listener is unable to make a choice one way or the other.
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tobor007I really did not mean their would be a loser. Just fun and perhaps some learning tied in with a good show. Please count me in as a potential subject for a blind listening test. However, if you think it's going to be fun, you'll almost certainly be disappointed. I've participated in a few of these tests. They're tedious. And boring. And that's even before you try to digest the results.
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tobor007Why not get 10 sample audiophiles who have a history of posting here and have a listening study. Location could be at an agreed on audio show ... Blind test ... The losers get a audiophile t-shirt ... I’ve suggested this several times, and agree that an audio show would be good place to conduct a scientifically valid, double-blind listening test. The problem is that few audiophiles seem to have an interest in participating in such tests, which to be fair are typically time consuming and tedious. Most of the contributors here who clamor for blind testing do so as a red herring - they’re not really interested in such tests and if they were, they’d have conducted a few and would share the conditions of the test and results with others here. By the way, there is no "loser" in an audio listening test, because a listening test is not designed to test the listener. For that, you see an audiologist. |
rocknssWhy not remove the in wall receptacle and hard wire to the Romex? That wouldn't
likely meet NEC or local electrical code.
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mkgus One of my concerns with “on the spot” listening tests is that I need time to learn a specific system’s sound first. I can pick up on very subtle changes with my system because I am very acquainted with it. If I go to someone else’s house, I would not fare so well ... Give me enough time, which could be hours or days and I would do much better on listening tests. What I am alluding to is that if we show up at an audio show with an unfamiliar system, we could all fail a listening test and there could still be differences between cables that we miss because we aren’t familiar with the “baseline” sound. You will not "fail" a listening test, because such tests don’t actually test the listener. For that, see an audiologist; that’s what they do. But your point about being part of a listening test using an unfamiliar system is quite valid, and represents one of the many issues that must be addressed as part of designing a scientifically valid test. |
I got into upgraded power cables mostly for aesthetics. It didn’t make sense to me to have a rack-full of equipment using stock 6- to 8-foot power cords, when the dedicated lines that serve the system are located directly behind the rack. So I bought upgraded cables in custom lengths, and the installation looks a lot cleaner for it. I also think it sounds better. Is that because there’s no longer excess cable stuffed behind the rack? Is it because of the better quality AC connectors? Is it the geometry of the cables themselves? I honestly don’t know. And I don’t care. And this being a hobbyist’s group, I’m not required to satisfy anyone’s demands for technical proof of any kind.
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The OP
mkgus
wrote:
If you don’t think power cables matter at all, please refrain from derailing the conversation with antagonism Some in this group can't abide by that simple request. A pity. |
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It's unfortunate that even after a warning here from the moderator, users like me can't report a preference and positive experience with premium power cords without being subject to such a juvenile, profane, ignorant and antagonistic response as this.
I prefer premium power cords, period. It's a preference that doesn't require defense, and shouldn't be subject to smarmy derision.
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djones51So
Audio Research promotes using high quality cable yet provides cables
that are not sufficient for the needs of their equipment? No. Power cables supplied with ARC gear are perfectly competent.
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thynameYou cannot win any argument with any cable deniers folks. That’s the reality. They will never submit to actually trying stuff, instead, asking us to provide proof and measurements. Yes, that is indeed the pattern that we’ve seen repeated here many times. Presumably, that’s why the OP stated: If you don’t think power cables matter at all, please refrain from derailing the conversation with antagonism. It’s interesting that the the deniers are so unwilling to experiment, often responding that it isn’t necessary because they know in advance what the results of a listening test would be. What’s interesting about that claim is - accepting their convictions about the influence of "placebo effect" - they are probably correct. If you’re certain you won’t hear difference, then most likely you won’t hear a difference. Of course, if you’re unwilling to experiment and listen, you are assured to not hear any difference at all. |
