Amir and Blind Testing

When not handled properly, obsession with A/B tests is just as any another obsession turned into compulsion: harmful and self-sustaining. It ultimately stems from 1., lack of self confidence 2., lack of experience, 3., trust issues.

With these issues solved, it becomes meaningless whether you do a change blind or seeing. (Plus, you need follow up for it to work - break in period, different genres, susceptibility to line AC changes, etc, so just swapping as a form of A/B test is shallow at best.)

When listening to music / system, I just open myself to experience without pre-judging the system. Why? Because I heard cheap solutions punching heavy weight and ultra-bucket mortars turning out as duds, and one piece that sounded like a rust bucket singing in another system. I learned that we cannot bring a single preconception to a listening experience, and I have zero trouble accepting that.

So, go in with zero conceit and preconceptions. Seeing the box that I will hear will bias me to judge it AFTER the hearing on a different scale. (Should have done more or punched high above the weight).

After all you only truly need an AB test when you are a MANUFACTURER and you want an edge to sell.

Aural memory is the result of a learning process, and an ability that we can develop just as any other cognitive function. Improving it is the same as learning a new skill.

When there is effort put in, it can be vastly improved upon, and conversely, lack of training will result in the decline of aural memory faculties. 

Just as we can remember words, colors, pictures, we remember sounds with analogous mechanisms. A person who can retain a 7 digit number for 10 seconds can train to withhold it in memory for an hour or longer, eventually retaining the ability to call back the number after a longer time period, and with increased digit counts.

Same with aural memory.

As every learned skill, it takes a lot of effort....some people have a head-start, but ultimately perseverance is key, and is the secret to a good aural memory.

A/B test cannot substitute an acute aural memory.... perhaps with an A/B selector switch we can cut out the time-caused retention-loss... yet, in case the aural perception and memory is so poor that it fades in seconds, then the detail observation skills are also comparatively abysmal. In consequence, the A/B tester with poor aural skills does not have the cognitive faculties to perform the test in a competent way.