Study proposal:
I don't know if any studies of the following kind have been done. But if not, then one should be done.
Materials: two sets of cheap cables -- cosmetically different, and a set of expensive cables that look just like the cheap ones.
First experiment(s): subjects are introduced to the two sets of cheap cables and told the one is a very expensive $15K cable, the other a $15 cable. Descriptions of each cable, in lavish audiophile prose, are printed on glossy tri-fold with nice pictures, and given to the subjects. The "expensive" cable is praised to the heavens and the "cheap" cable is described modestly.
Then the cables are used (not blind) alternately, to play back a variety of music. Subjects are then asked to rate their listening experiences, both quantitatively, and also qualitatively.
To eliminate the worry about cosmetic differences in the cheap cables making a difference, you could do the test twice, once with cable A being the "cheap" one, and once with cable B being the "cheap" one.
Second experiment(s): do the first experiment but with one expensive cable and one cheap cable that look the same. Do it first by telling the truth about the cables, but then, in the second case, by telling the subjects that the expensive cable is cheap and the cheap cable is expensive.
Here, nothing is bliind. Subjects are all looking at the equipment, and can even observe, from a little distance, the cables being hooked up. But if the DBT guys are right, and it's all hype, we should expect in the first experiment, that the introductions to the cables will lead subjects to favor whatever happens to be described as the more expensive cable, both quantitatively, and in their qualitative descriptions, even though the cables are basically identical cheap cables. In the second experiment, we should expect that when subjects are told the true values of the cables, their judgments favor the more expensive one, but also, that when lied to, they prefer the cheaper cable *just as much* as they preferred the expensive one.
If DBT proponents are wrong, you should expect that subjects will rate the cheap (identical) cables about the same, and that in the second experiment, they will vastly prefer the expensive cable when truthfully described, and when lied to, either still prefer the expensive cable (contrary to what they're being told) or prefer the cheap one, but only by a little.
The point is, we don't need to have people "blind" to do the tests.
And if the cables were manufactured especially for this purpose, you could do the testing through the mail, with in-home trials over a long period of time. Wonder what the results would be?
I don't know if any studies of the following kind have been done. But if not, then one should be done.
Materials: two sets of cheap cables -- cosmetically different, and a set of expensive cables that look just like the cheap ones.
First experiment(s): subjects are introduced to the two sets of cheap cables and told the one is a very expensive $15K cable, the other a $15 cable. Descriptions of each cable, in lavish audiophile prose, are printed on glossy tri-fold with nice pictures, and given to the subjects. The "expensive" cable is praised to the heavens and the "cheap" cable is described modestly.
Then the cables are used (not blind) alternately, to play back a variety of music. Subjects are then asked to rate their listening experiences, both quantitatively, and also qualitatively.
To eliminate the worry about cosmetic differences in the cheap cables making a difference, you could do the test twice, once with cable A being the "cheap" one, and once with cable B being the "cheap" one.
Second experiment(s): do the first experiment but with one expensive cable and one cheap cable that look the same. Do it first by telling the truth about the cables, but then, in the second case, by telling the subjects that the expensive cable is cheap and the cheap cable is expensive.
Here, nothing is bliind. Subjects are all looking at the equipment, and can even observe, from a little distance, the cables being hooked up. But if the DBT guys are right, and it's all hype, we should expect in the first experiment, that the introductions to the cables will lead subjects to favor whatever happens to be described as the more expensive cable, both quantitatively, and in their qualitative descriptions, even though the cables are basically identical cheap cables. In the second experiment, we should expect that when subjects are told the true values of the cables, their judgments favor the more expensive one, but also, that when lied to, they prefer the cheaper cable *just as much* as they preferred the expensive one.
If DBT proponents are wrong, you should expect that subjects will rate the cheap (identical) cables about the same, and that in the second experiment, they will vastly prefer the expensive cable when truthfully described, and when lied to, either still prefer the expensive cable (contrary to what they're being told) or prefer the cheap one, but only by a little.
The point is, we don't need to have people "blind" to do the tests.
And if the cables were manufactured especially for this purpose, you could do the testing through the mail, with in-home trials over a long period of time. Wonder what the results would be?