Is this the same Amir that had his former partner make damning accusations before the thread was removed? The one about bad measurements of competitor products to protect his sponsors?
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.
- ...
- 355 posts total
“Science is a bunch of guys in white coats cutting up frogs”. Woody Allen. But just to drag the thread back on topic, I really wasn’t talking about Amir’s measurements or reviews. I was talking about his comments on the “analytical brain” vs the “enjoying music” brain and the difficulty these may cause in evaluating components. |
It won't matter. If you're expecting a difference you will find that difference. Either in reality or imagination. And if you're really committed to the outcome, you will make an excuse for why you failed to find a difference or identify the correct device. ABX testing allows you to listen and switch at your own pace with your own music, even over days or months, and still that has made no difference in the outcome of blind tests. I participated in my first blind amp test in the late 80's and it was an eye-opener. Much along the lines of the infamous 1987 Stereo Review test. |
@chayro , Those two issues, enjoying the music and analyzing what you are hearing are separate issues. I do not know about others but when I am analyzing what I am hearing I am not thinking about the music at all, my foot is not tapping. Unless I hear something I do not like when I am enjoying the music I am not in analysis mode. If I am trying to decide what I like better, say which copy of a specific album, I have usually gone about synchronizing the two and am switching back and forth listening to different aspects of the recordings. For personal reasons the most important factor is just being honest with yourself and expelling any bias that might enter the equation. It is hard to find someone who does not enjoy music but, fortunately for the world audiophiles are a much rarer breed. You can do both. |
- 355 posts total