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.
@phantom_av - Nobody is 'forced' to do anything. I see negative reviews of gear on YouTube reviews all the time. What will make people stop paying any attention to reviewers is if they always say everything is great - people buy something a reviewer says he loves and the buyer doesn't like it, that buyer will quit paying attention to that reviewer.... |
Some use their ears and eyes not just their ears which means it's simply a subjective opinion that applies only to the one making the claim with the problem of bias not accounted for. It contributes nothing to gaining knowledge about a product. Hard pill to swallow for some, but true. |
