Putting listening ability to rest - privately

Best done without any headphones or highly resolving speakers

Why would you do that? I have a transistor radio that sounds like crap but I don't use it to evaluate quality of the source material. 

The files are all digital. This is like asking wine enthusiasts to prove their tasting ability by drinking septic tank effluent. Three glasses filtered for different amounts of solids, can you choose the one with the least toilet paper?

And you actually did this?

This was supposed to be private, guys - but since you’ve made your results public, I think it should be said that audiophilia is about the ability to listen through the noise, big or small - nuance isn’t just about the skill to hear differences of quality between excellent recordings, it is also about being able to subtly tell quality between reproductions that are not good. It is about listening for quality differences between good and bad, not merely between a version of your high-end, and what one consider a lesser version of low-end.

Use your headphones if you must, but I f you’re not up for this little test, all well and fine, but please don’t resort to bullying just because an actual test for listening ability will put you on the line. Unless, of course, only your subjective version of listening ability specially applies, and only to you.

In friendship - kevin

MC, Thanks for the reminder, I do need to get the tank pumped before the ground

freezes.  Now I couldn't possibly forget.

I am a heat-seeking moisture missile robot.

having gotten to know what goes down on this forum more often than not, I imagine there will be mostly responses about what is WRONG with this idea/test, rather than simply accepting it for what it is....and there are those who will resist out of fear that they wont be able to tell the difference!!