It has also been proven that people imagine differences that are not really
there at all. John Dunlavy used to do an experiment where he would gather
audiophiles in his lab, position a technician behind a set of speakers, change
speaker cables and the audiophiles would claim to hear large differences --
but the trick was -- the cables were never changed. Now, show me an
audiophile who is open to the idea that there is a very real possibility that the
differences he/she hears is due to his/her imagination and I'll show you an
audiophile who is REALLY open minded. There is more than enough irony in
listening to audiophiles who think they are immune to such imaginary effects
calling others closed minded. Unless you can prove that you aren't imagining
the differences you are claiming to hear or that the differences are audible to
your brother, there is nothing here but a he said/she said type of debate.
There is a very real possibility that some of these alleged differences are like
the emporer's new clothes. Without proof of the existence of these alleged
differences, there's no proof that there are any clothes to see. So, in absence
of that proof, there's no justification for smugness on anyone's part.
Anecdotal testimony with regard to these alleged differences wouldn't hold
up in any scientific debate. So, what do you do when you're debating sounds
that haven't even been proven to exist -- and no anecdotal testimony is not
accepted as *PROOF*. So many of these alleged differences disappear under
double-blind testing that, IMO, a little humility is in order. Show me the
humble audiophile who is open to the possibility that he/she is affected by
peer group pressure and his/her imagination and you win a trip to Bermuda!
But, if YOU are satisfied that you hear these things, be happy. If others --
like your brother -- are cynical, you've got no magic bullet to end the debate.
Further, just as people can imagine hearing differences because they think
they are supposed to -- it stands to reason that people can fail to hear
differences because they think they are not supposed to. Also stands to
reason that one must think any differences, if they do in fact exist, are worth
hearing in order to hear them. These are just some of the reasons these
types of debates rage on. And, why the correct response, IMO, to either
position is just a bemused, "oh you!" But -- that's just my
opinion.
there at all. John Dunlavy used to do an experiment where he would gather
audiophiles in his lab, position a technician behind a set of speakers, change
speaker cables and the audiophiles would claim to hear large differences --
but the trick was -- the cables were never changed. Now, show me an
audiophile who is open to the idea that there is a very real possibility that the
differences he/she hears is due to his/her imagination and I'll show you an
audiophile who is REALLY open minded. There is more than enough irony in
listening to audiophiles who think they are immune to such imaginary effects
calling others closed minded. Unless you can prove that you aren't imagining
the differences you are claiming to hear or that the differences are audible to
your brother, there is nothing here but a he said/she said type of debate.
There is a very real possibility that some of these alleged differences are like
the emporer's new clothes. Without proof of the existence of these alleged
differences, there's no proof that there are any clothes to see. So, in absence
of that proof, there's no justification for smugness on anyone's part.
Anecdotal testimony with regard to these alleged differences wouldn't hold
up in any scientific debate. So, what do you do when you're debating sounds
that haven't even been proven to exist -- and no anecdotal testimony is not
accepted as *PROOF*. So many of these alleged differences disappear under
double-blind testing that, IMO, a little humility is in order. Show me the
humble audiophile who is open to the possibility that he/she is affected by
peer group pressure and his/her imagination and you win a trip to Bermuda!
But, if YOU are satisfied that you hear these things, be happy. If others --
like your brother -- are cynical, you've got no magic bullet to end the debate.
Further, just as people can imagine hearing differences because they think
they are supposed to -- it stands to reason that people can fail to hear
differences because they think they are not supposed to. Also stands to
reason that one must think any differences, if they do in fact exist, are worth
hearing in order to hear them. These are just some of the reasons these
types of debates rage on. And, why the correct response, IMO, to either
position is just a bemused, "oh you!" But -- that's just my
opinion.