To Fuse or Not to Fuse... That is the question!

cleeds2,511 posts10-24-2019 10:35am roberttcan

You just assume I have never done these tests. I have, and more ... I am not under any illusion that all the typical measurements done fully characterize an amplifier. It is one of the reasons why I designed a specific piece of test equipment for a customer ... IF the direction of a cable, independent of a shield is as plain as the nose on my face, then surely it is dead easy to replicate this, blind tested?

Here we go again with a call for blind testing, an exercise that is of very limited value - if any at all - to the typical audiophile. I just don’t understand why those who call for such tests don’t conduct their own, and then share results with the group.

I’ve also suggested that the blind testing advocates organize such a test and recruit subjects from Audiogon. It could be interesting to have such a test session at an audio show, for example. (Caution! Results of such tests can be surprising - and even demoralizing!) When I’ve offered such suggestions in the past, I’m met with orders to do it myself, or required to put up money in a wager, or have an agreement with lawyers regarding the test.

To be clear, I think the results of these tests are not always what they seem, and I question the ability of these tests to correspond to what we actually experience as listeners and audiophiles. But they have their place.

Perhaps the problem is that it is not a simple matter to conduct such a scientifically valid, controlled double-blind listening test. And if it’s not properly conducted, a test obviously has no value at all.

312 responses 

cleeds2,511 posts10-24-2019 1:40pm roberttcan

I am willing to test on any system you wish to configure ...

Let's see if the group can agree about what that system might look like. Then you could try to assemble something comparable at one of the major audio shows, and invite Audiogon readers and others in to participate.