Objective subjectivity

Posted by: Paul Ranson on 20 December 2001

All over the 'audiophile community' claims are made about aural effects, many are contradictory (viz 'The Mana Effect' and 'Non Ferrous Rules').

It seems to me that it would be fun to try and accumulate some evidence and that there are a bunch of keen eared people here, many of whom are even rational.

So I propose a chain-letter-audio-test procedure, the test organiser produces three items, two of which differ in some way that might affect audio, labelled A and B, the other is either an A or a B and might be labelled X. Clearly on external physical examination they must all be identical.

These items get posted to a tester, they do their listening in their own time and on their own system and email back whether X is A or B, or whether they're all the same. An opinon on which of A or B is 'better' is optional. They then forward the items onto another volunteer.

Two tests that would fit this format spring to mind,

CDRs cut at 1x and 16x
The mains input filter from a Linn Lingo mounted in a 13amp plug and an empty plug

It would also be fun to make 'bricks' with and without steel but shipping might start to get out of hand...

So, stupid idea?

Paul

Posted on: 20 December 2001 by Thomas K

Totally stupid. I love it. Another possible test would be multiple copies of the same audio track on CD-R, using no compression for one track and the highest quality mp3 compression for another (and possibly an X track). I should think the difference would be quite audible, but Germany's most respected computer mag ("c't") carried out a test with laypeople and audiophiles: most claimed they couldn't really hear a difference. One person with a hearing defect could tell the difference easily.

Thomas