James Randi vs. Anjou Pear - once and for all


(Via Gizmodo)
So it looks like the gauntlet's been thrown down (again).
Backed up this time by, apparently, *presses pinkie to corner of mouth* one million dollars...

See:
http://www.randi.org/jr/2007-09/092807reply.html#i4
dchase
Carl109, if you were to take say 10 of the cables that audiophiles revere plus one bought from Radio Shack and test them as you propose and find no differences even with the most accurate measurement instruments we have, what would you conclude? I would think there are but two alternatives. Either there are no differences or the measurement lack necessary precision or focus on the wrong things.

While I do think I have to rely on what I hear, I agree with you that tests such as Randi proposes are invalid measures of what we want in realistic music reproduction.
If the system used was the most revealing system in the world. and Randi has their 99.9% pure naked cable, and the lengths are kept very short, my money is solidly on Randi. Remember, the competing cable must sound better, not different.

On the other hand, if Randi is using Radio Shack plastic wrapped copper cable, It may be enough to impart dielectric static degrading the signal. That can be bettered.
Remember, the competing cable must sound better, not different.

Coke is better, no Pepsi, no Coke, no Pepsi, no they are both exactally the same?

Differences between cables are objective while "better" is subjective- how ironic.
Leica man

Better in my book is signal uninhibited, the closest to the original performance. In my perfect world I would insist on the purest form of recording to play back. Distortion should then be easy to single out.

You can parade the most expensive speaker cables through my system, and before you hook them up I can accurately tell you whether they will be contenders or failures.

hi muralman:

since you have no knowledge of a recording, your method of detecting distortion is subjective, hence opinion, which is subject to disagreement.

if you insist on using the term "better", it must be quantitative in nature, hence some kind of objective measurement. perhaps you can use white noise and a spectral analyzer.