In defense of ABX testing

Granted, sighted tests produce false positives, but I would posit that stereo equipment exists to create pleasure in the brain, much like the role of cigarettes. This pleasure can be difficult to capture in the conscious mind, and does not lend itself to discernment, comparing, and "telling." When I smoked, there was no conscious altering of state. I could not say, "I am under the influence of nicotine." I could not say, "This cigarette is better nicotine." The brain just liked nicotine, and cigarettes were a delivery mechanism.

If you removed nicotine from one pack of cigarettes and not the other, and asked me to discern between the two packs, I don't believe I could, but then is the discernment between which cigarette is which really the measure of the related pleasure? If I kept the two packs for a couple of days, I would most likely want more of the pack with nicotine, but I would have a heck of a time telling you why. My failure to discern could lead an observer to conclude that my love of one pack was an illusion.

Why couldn't there be a similar behavior in the pleasure of music delivered through various devices? Why couldn't the brain-level pleasure of music be as difficult to discern as nicotine? "I smoked AmpX and AmpY, and really couldn't 'tell' the difference, but I listen to AmpX three hours a day."

All things considered, preferences play a major but under appreciated role. We can all agree on specs but in the final analysis we'll pick what we like.

All the best,
Nonoise

"Probably I shouldn't have used the word 'science', which seems to get people in an uproar. Perhaps a better word would have been 'logic'. It is logical to assume that by using standard ABX testing, one can determine with certainty which of two testing scenarios sounds better. And in fact, that assumption turns out to be true."

No. Its not logical to assume that, and the assumption is not true. Science and logic are not the same thing. Science proves the earth is round while logic says its flat. Before science proved this, it was logical to assume you could fall off the edge of the earth if you went far enough in one direction.

Zd542, I think I get your point, but the earth is flat is not good example. Ancient Egyptians and Greeks figured out that the earth was round via observation and logic.

I thought the point of A/B testing was to determine if there was a difference, not a preference?