Blind Listening Tests?

Detlof: 1) The power of a trained ear depends on how it was trained, and for what. If it was trained by years of imagining differences that one couldn't really detect, then it's not much use to anyone else. The refusal of many subjective reviewers to submit to objective testing speaks volumes about the quality of their "training." 2) Scientists who study hearing will tell you that they can measure differences far smaller than the human ear can pick out. 3) I've no interest in getting into an argument with you about your blind tests of cones under preamps. But I'm very skeptical. It would not be a trivial exercise.

Well Detlof, I can not begin to thank-you for your insites. I had to finally ask the six 24 year old women to leave. We sure learned alot. Oh and we listened to the system too, the verdict, there are those who believe and those who don't. Of the ones who believe a group of them have amazing sounding systems and are not concerned with the viewpoint of those who don't believe. If those who don't believe want to stand on there "scientific" belief great, too bad for them for there lose. If you've followed the threads of the na-sayers above I think you'll find there experiences are few and there view points limited. It's clearly not worth the energy to try to help these people find great sound, they are not here for that. They only want to prove there great knowledge and little practical experience. The best test, six women, mid twenties, thanks buddy! J.D.

Couldn't agree more, J.D.--this is about belief, not science. Just click your heels together, and your system will sound great!

Jostler,I enjoyed your wizardry,and voted it as such. Now what want to know; should I be blindfolded,when I click my heels? Or do I also need to do the 6 women thing? Does that need to be done blindfolded also?Does the blindfold go on them? According to all my many "friend"---Yes

A little story comes to mind:
When CD's first came out, there were those nuthead believers, who maintained that interconnects between the CD players and the other gear sounded different and worse, that they even had directivity. Of course they were ridiculed by "Science" and probably told to klick their heels (-; ( by the way,works only with gear from Deutschland) because bits were just bits after all. Until it was found out, that even minute faults in the solder joints would cause jitter and suddenly those first ridiculed, became rehabilitated. The history of science is full of similar stories. It is not just a question between knowing and believing, there is something inbetween, namely "experiencing", gathering empirical evidence, which would lead to new hypotheses ( and those at first are generally "beliefs" ) which then in time could be turned into knowledge, widening the scope of science.
I think we should not bicker with each other, but rather listen to and learn from another. The believers should learn to be sceptical and careful, the scientists to be curious and openminded. Obviously looking at many posts here in Audiogon, this is a difficult thing to achieve. Everybody rides his own high horse, he should rather get down of.
Well, I'll get off my donkey now too and shall try to repeat J.D.'s experiment and invite six 24 year old women over and then we'll see (hear) about them cones, hopefully , I'll not be too distracted. JD, did you listen with the lights on or off? This seems an important parameter as well. I've got goospimples all over in nervous anticipation and I must be off now and get on the phone, to get things rolling. Sorry Jademo, can't klick my heels, because my gear is either Brits or US colonial. Should I sing "Rule Britannia" perhaps?