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In Reply to: RE: Hold it!!! posted by cpotl on October 03, 2014 at 05:50:16
The "Tweakers" have two responses to the clamor for double-blind or even single-blind testing:
(1) The switch or switching mechanism itself used in A/B/A or A/B/X testing is obscuring the differences one is trying to discern. It's typically impossible to convince extreme Tweakers that this issue can be overcome, because then they would have to give up or modify some cherished prejudices.
(2) Short term listening, as is typically done in this sort of testing, is insufficient to reveal subtle differences; you have to have the gear in your system for many days/weeks/months to do the comparison properly. This of course usually interdicts the possibility of true blinding of the participant(s). Actually, I am not so sure I disagree with this position.
I would add that IMO, the amplifier/speaker work as a unit. The "sound" of the amplifier will have more to do with how well its operating characteristics suit the speaker's impedance, efficiency, and phase anomalies, and the room acoustics, than anything else. Thus it is folly to test two very different types of amplifiers (solid state vs OTL vs SE) in this manner. Which is why I am an agnostic when it comes to testing and how to do it. I just know what I like, after 40 years as an audiophile.
Follow Ups:
Case in point to your second point, Lew.
I am experimenting with a speaker that has a series/parallel string of highs/mids crossed over to a series/parallel string of woofs. The impedance of the combination--measured at the speaker terminals--was less than three ohms. Powered by my Atmas the combination was truly struggling: it lacked dynamics and the highs were unacceptably rolled off. Conclusion: bad amp? bad speakers?
When I rewired the speakers such that each string was in series, raising the overall impedance to 18 Ohm or so (thanks, Ralph), both the highs and the dynamics were much, much improved. Conclusion: great amp! great speakers!
Is it real or is it Memorex?
BTW, Lew, you comin' to RMAF?
The Sound Labs 845PX speakers with OEM crossover and toroidal treble transformer (about a nominal 6-ohm speaker above 100Hz) vs the same speaker panels with only a low-pass filter on the bass transformer and a full-range transformer driving the treble (a 20-25 ohm speaker up to 5000Hz). Night and day.One RMAF seems to have been enough for me. I don't feel the urge or the need.
Edits: 10/03/14 10/03/14
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