Amir and Blind Testing


Let me start by saying I like watching Amir from ASR, so please let’s not get harsh or the thread will be deleted. Many times, Amir has noted that when we’re inserting a new component in our system, our brains go into (to paraphrase) “analytical mode” and we start hearing imaginary improvements. He has reiterated this many times, saying that when he switched to an expensive cable he heard improvements, but when he switched back to the cheap one, he also heard improvements because the brain switches from “music enjoyment mode” to “analytical mode.” Following this logic, which I agree with, wouldn’t blind testing, or any A/B testing be compromised because our brains are always in analytical mode and therefore feeding us inaccurate data? Seems to me you need to relax for a few hours at least and listen to a variety of music before your brain can accurately assess whether something is an actual improvement.  Perhaps A/B testing is a strawman argument, because the human brain is not a spectrum analyzer.  We are too affected by our biases to come up with any valid data.  Maybe. 

chayro

Don't forget also that Confirmation Bias works in both directions.

Your brain can "confirm" improvements it expects to hear.

Your brain can also "confirm" that you don't expect to hear any audible improvements.

which is confirmed by the fact that anything sold by the parent company Aoshida will get favourable reviews from Amir..

which is confirmed by the fact that anything sold by the parent company Aoshida will get favourable reviews from Amir..

I have read this somewhere too.

I read somewhere Amir is a famous Egyptian movie star who grows prize winning watermelons in his spare time. It's a confirmed fact.

Unless one does an actual blind test, every, and I mean every change will only result in a subjective change and won't stand up to scrutiny.