Out of Control

Great! I've been invited out of the analog forum, now I can't even mention trying to set decent standards in judging a component's performance through the use of human hearing. Damn you audiophiles are difficult. I just don't have the time to go through all the submissions on Audiogon to see where the prevailing winds blow. I must have touched a nerve or something or maybe my lack of political correctness in the audiophile milieu is costing me. I have the greatest respect for the inherent right of all audiophiles to opine free of any constraints which methodology would impose. There I said it. Geez, I'm going to make sure I don't talk about science and measurements and other passé stuff that takes all the fun out of audio equipment. I'm not aging gracefully, I guess. Maybe I should set up a chapter of frustrated ex-Audio readers anonymous.

pbb: here's a site where you might find refuge. no political correctness nor graceful aging required:

http://www.audioannex.com/

-cfb

Cornfedboy, Heck they're listening to electrical wall outlets there to. What's wrong with this world? You know what, the sound of the bloody computer is distracting when the music is playing, so I'll just turn it off and listen to the music and forget tho whole sorry Adiogoninsane thing, well for now at least. I think that's the best and cheapest tweak. And oh yes, I think I'll subscribe to Fanfare. Bye for now and keep up the good work. I didn't know how exclusive a club this is and to think I'm at the computer without a suit and tie! Have fun my friend.

Pbb, I have a question for you. You claim to be a skeptic and have thrown down the double blind testing guantlet to refute the claims of posters to this thread. Have you performed any of these double blind tests yourself? It is very easy to be a skeptic. It simply requires a willingness to disbelieve anything without "proof". And it even sounds reasonable - especially when science and mathematics are waved about like a talisman to ward off the evil of opposing views. But skepticism without a willingness to investigate all sides of the issue is no better than the blind faith you seek to debunk. It is also easy to forget that measurements and statistics are meaningless without interpretation; and are only as good as the instruments used to collect them. Even supposing that the measurements are perfect the interpretation of their meaning is not. You have only to recall that Aristotle, using accepted "scientific" methods, claimed that Earth was at the center of the universe. His interpretation of the data was incorrect. At least Aristotle was willing to expend effort in explanation, measurement, and reasoning to refute claims he did not believe to be true. If you have indeed conducted double blind tests let us know the results. And don't forget to include your testing methods and conditions.

I'll disclose now that I have not myself conducted any such tests. I might in the future - but at the moment my satisfication with this hobby doesn't require it.

Pbb, sorry for delay. Experience at a friend's house. The (modest) system: Clearaudio/Morch/Clearaudio Victory, YBA 1 cdp, CAT III line -- proprietary phono (tube), Avanti III speakers.

We were 4 people: i.e., the two "audio" nuts (:-) ) & our respective wives.

The differences were in the tonal balance, microdynamics, and presence. Dynamics (in classical) were unrestrained, "unfatiguing" also, in one case vs. the other.
One wife remarked at the sound's "raising the hairs on the arm" in one case vs. the other.

We listened to parts of, (cd): Mahler 2 (Klemperer/Bayerischen Rundfunks - EMI), An Die Musik (Universal, compilation Schubert songs), Mahler 8 (Horenstein/LSO - BBC classics). LP: Mahler 2 (Klemperer/Concertgebouw - Decca), Carmina Burana (Jochum/German Opera Orch - DG), D. Purple "Made in Japan" (old copy - ?).

Cheers!