Clever Little Clock - high-end audio insanity?

Zaikesman, your last point, "I'd have to give a shit," is exactly the point of those suggesting that the CLC should be tried, especially given some reviews that suggest it works. We don't really give a shit that some demand an explanation, if we hear an improvement.

I have tried several tweaks that did not have very good explanations, notably the Bybee filters and various cd mats, that proved of no benefit, but I have tried others that did, such as the IC, which I heard demonstrated at CES and the Muratas also demonstrated at CES, that proved excellent. None of these have been in experiments where statistical significance was assessed. It matters not to me if I hear a difference.

I teach research methods and find the question of whether a random sample's sampling error could have accounted for the variation noted to be trivial, especially as anything will be statistically significant if the sample size is large.

I know from experience that neither one of us will have a change of heart as a result of these discussions

I couldn't agree more with that...

so I see no point in risking alienation with continued debate

...maybe not so much with this, but I concede the possibility. I'm not trying to change your mind, believe it or not. And as far as I'm concerned you don't risk alienating me, though I can't know about me alienating you. (Not, of course, that this discussion has just been between you and me.) But I can understand getting tired of it.

And if you're happy with your CLC's, why risk lousing it up by doing the test I proposed? Or subject yourself to a lot of flack? Same as me not wanting to waste my time and money "auditioning" the Clock when I'm certain in advance I won't hear any difference. As much as any intellectual criticism though, I'd just feel unbearably *silly* actually "testing" something along these lines.

As you know, the only reason I ever came on this thread was to poke fun. Not necessarily at you, but at the product you like, which is dangerously close to the same thing I admit. Then I went away. Then the humor kind of ceased to be funny any more, and serious points were raised (in theory, if maybe not in reality when it comes to something as frivolous as high end audio), so I got serious for a change of pace. There's only so far it can be taken without repeating oneself.

I actually have about half of a lengthy response to Dave Clark composed and waiting, but I haven't had the heart to carry through with it. It's not that I'm at a loss for something relevent to say, it's just that I think, is it really necessary to continue blabbering on about this stuff? Maybe so, I'm still thinking about it. I take more seriously what I see as lazy work of published writers like the Clarks and irresponsible claims of manufacturers like Kait than the whims of the audiophiles whose money they take...and then again, I don't really care about anybody but myself in these trivial matters of caveat emptor and different strokes...

Zaikesman, please do post the response to Dave Clark. I think the issue we are discussing is of huge importance to high end audio in general. I think if we keep on, we may end up somewhere and perhaps make progress. I am sure that influencing Dave Clark will eventually send ripples through the whole industry.

I actually have about half of a lengthy response to Dave Clark composed and waiting, but I haven't had the heart to carry through with it.

Maybe because you have to make 5 responses to them....;)

By the way, for the record, at the NJAS meeting last week I took the clock out of the house and brought it back in on two occasions while people were listening to music on the system, not telling anyone I was doing it or even letting them know I was leaving the house. No reaction one way or another, no one saying "Hey, what did you do?", etc. While this might not qualify as a double blind test, I think it illustrates the type of test Zaikes comments on in the Clever Little Sharp thread. Maybe there are people of exceptional sensory powers who can hear this thing working, but I'm afraid that I'm not one of them, nor are most of our club members.