@geoffkait , "Something tells me the only ones who are hot to trot to conduct double blind tests are the ones who’ve already made their minds up, you know, the died in wool skeptics. Skeptics claim these outlandish audiophile gadgets can’t pass a double blind test but never do you see a skeptic actually conduct a double blind test. What’s up with that? Isn't that putting the cart before the goat?"
I disagree and agree. I disagree that the only ones advocating double-blind tests are ones who've already made up their minds. Although in this particular situation, I definitely have some preconceived notions, I would love to do a double-blind test, because the whole point is to come up with a result uncolored by expectations. However, I agree with you that it makes no sense for a reviewer not to conduct a double-blind test. If you have access to a $5600 record clamp, there is no reason not to test it against, for example, my MMF Music Hall record clamp, unless you want to make exaggerated claims unhampered by reality. I would willingly do such a test if I had a Dalby. In fact I have done double-blind tests with speaker cables, interconnects, power amps and preamps, and the results have been very interesting. I see no reason why people would resist that kind of test and I think it should be part of every reviewer's repertoire. I saw an interesting ad today for a $25,800 (new) preamplifier. The ad stated "We have compared it to many that are far more expensive" and it "always wins." First, how many preamps are "far more expensive" than $25,800, and how did they judge which one "won." I'm not saying that the preamp isn't the best preamp since the invention of the transistor, but how about an objective study before proclaiming that it "always wins." That is putting the cart before the goat, I think . . . :)
I disagree and agree. I disagree that the only ones advocating double-blind tests are ones who've already made up their minds. Although in this particular situation, I definitely have some preconceived notions, I would love to do a double-blind test, because the whole point is to come up with a result uncolored by expectations. However, I agree with you that it makes no sense for a reviewer not to conduct a double-blind test. If you have access to a $5600 record clamp, there is no reason not to test it against, for example, my MMF Music Hall record clamp, unless you want to make exaggerated claims unhampered by reality. I would willingly do such a test if I had a Dalby. In fact I have done double-blind tests with speaker cables, interconnects, power amps and preamps, and the results have been very interesting. I see no reason why people would resist that kind of test and I think it should be part of every reviewer's repertoire. I saw an interesting ad today for a $25,800 (new) preamplifier. The ad stated "We have compared it to many that are far more expensive" and it "always wins." First, how many preamps are "far more expensive" than $25,800, and how did they judge which one "won." I'm not saying that the preamp isn't the best preamp since the invention of the transistor, but how about an objective study before proclaiming that it "always wins." That is putting the cart before the goat, I think . . . :)