do blind tests have any practical significance

Eldarford; Although I agree with your approach, I think most people gather the specifications of products from the manufacturers websites and read reviews to find out, simply put, if the gear sounds any good since dealers aren't always available.

I just happened upon this quote this morning in the February 2007 issue of "The Absolute Sound". It's a review of the Mark Levinson No. 436 Power Amp by Sue Kraft:

"So it was with much anticipation that I awaited the arrival of the Mark Levinson reviews. I was also quite excited at the prospect of hearing how these $12,500, 350Wpc brutes would mate with the stellar imaging and accuracy of a loudspeaker like the B&W 800D. Would my decade long wait to finally hear a pair of Levinson amps in my system meet my expectations? At the risk of ruining the ending...I'm afraid I knew the answer to that question nearly straight out of the box, and have heard nothing in the months to follow that would change my mind."

Come on. How can anyone argue that blindfolding Sue and telling her to review this amp would not result in a more objective review????? Wouldn't that be more helpful to the above mentioned "typical" reader I mentioned????

i think the purpose of the thread is to suggest the advantage of evaluating the sound of a component in absence of any attitudes about the component before the audition.

one does not literally have to be in a dark room or wear a blindfold. i think it is sufficient to be sighted so long as the brand and model of the component is not known.

unbiased assessment reduces the likelihood of erroneus judgments.

a blindfold is irrelevant. the purpose of a blind test is to ensure that a listener is unaware of the component auditioned. if one sees the component and it has a generic look and does not exhibit any visual cues to identify the product, the listener will be totally ignorant of the manufacturer as well as any other information about the product. blind should be interpreted in the figurative sense, rather than literally.

Not having been to Sue Kraft's new house I can't state it with absolute certainty, but I'm pretty sure she does not live is a vacuum!

Sue has been an audiophile for longer than I have, and has owned and auditioned a lot more equipment than most people on AudiogoN. Should she not have an idea what to expect when she auditions a pair of amps from a company that has been around for a long time and has a well established reputation. I don't know if Susie liked the amps or not, I would guess she isn't selling her currrent system to buy them! BUT that's not the issue.

Who goes shopping, or auditioning without a good idea of what they are getting into? That person would be foolish! At that point in the process a person should have a good idea of what to expect.

The blindfold is not the issue, you are questioning the integrity of the reviewer! If you want to play that game, you are certainly welcome but don't cloak it under the mantle of objectivity. Either something sounds good, or it doesn't, it doesn't matter what headgear is involved...

:o