Food for thought

It's SO similar to the psychology of a lot of high-end audio too!

Stradivarius violins are testaments to our ability to delude ourselves. Just as expensive wines don't taste any better than cheap plonk under blinded conditions, these antique instruments don't sound any better than modern ones. But when people aren't blinded, their anticipations can toy with their perceptions.

"What you hear is related to your expectations rather than the acoustical stimulus that goes through your ear," says Fritz. "When people say Strads sounded better to them, [the instruments] really did [sound better] - but [it was] because [the listeners] knew [that the particular instrument] was a Strad, and not because of what [the listeners] actually heard."

RE: I'd say that's three strikes and yer out for the Strads!, posted on May 9, 2017 at 17:25:38
fstein Audiophile Posts: 2994 Location: fstein Joined: May 18, 2006	It's like convincing a group of oeniphiles that the grape koolaid they are drinking is a fine bordeaux.

Strads aren't the only Old Instruments being used., posted on May 10, 2017 at 07:01:14
oldmkvi Audiophile Posts: 10581 Joined: April 12, 2002	Just TRY to pry them from their cold, cold hands...

Sorry, but not always true, posted on May 10, 2017 at 08:35:43
jimbill Audiophile Posts: 3048 Location: Texas Joined: May 31, 2004	I've done many blind tastings and have been able to tell the plonk vs. the better made wine. True, the "bang for your buck" drops sharply as the prices go up.

Sounds like an episode of Adam Ruins Everything... nt, posted on May 10, 2017 at 08:48:51
oldmkvi Audiophile Posts: 10581 Joined: April 12, 2002	/

AFAIK, new Stringed Inst are louder than the old ones. Level-Matching, posted on May 10, 2017 at 09:40:28

oldmkvi
Audiophile

Posts: 10581
Joined: April 12, 2002

in Audio is important for making comparisons.
Maybe the Listeners liked the louder, more dense, and well, steely sound.
I've heard new and older Inst compared in person.
The new stuff was as I said, louder, tighter, more projection, but lacked the Quality and sweetness of the older Inst.

Taste-Tests aren't reliable either.
What you tasted first will influence and change what comes after.
Probably the same with comparing Inst.

Hey, if 4 out of 5 Doctors agree...

RE: I'd say that's three strikes and yer out for the Strads!, posted on May 11, 2017 at 04:21:41

kitch29

Broken methodology, or in the case of the many Behavioral Science tests of the Harvard Gang in the 50s, just plain rigged.

I'm certain Chris can attest that Even pianos of the same manufacture all sound different and certainly those of different brands. Every horn I've blown has had differences in brilliance, intonation, and timbre. Musical instruments even made by the same hands must sound as different as one tree from another, one mix of varnish from another, or the number of strokes of the finish scraper.

RE: Food for thought, posted on May 11, 2017 at 13:06:08

Palustris
Audiophile

Posts: 2408
Location: Cape Cod
Joined: September 12, 2008

Here is the 1950 Ferrari 166 with a power output of 110 to 140 hp

Here's the 2017 Kia Forte with a power output of 147 to 164 hp

Which would you rather have in your garage?

You are absolutely correct! [nt] ;-), posted on May 12, 2017 at 00:43:24
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012

Yes, but if the loudness levels didn't match. . . , posted on May 12, 2017 at 00:49:46
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26437 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012	. . . then these same mismatches should have held for both the blind and the sighted tests. And yet, once the tests were sighted, more folks preferred the sound of the Strads. That indicates to me that the psychology is much more important than the level matching.

what is wrong with the methodology?, posted on May 12, 2017 at 08:05:10
Analog Scott Audiophile Posts: 9933 Joined: January 8, 2002	yes, no doubt different instruments from the same maker sound different. But they used multiples and did multiple tests in multiple venues with multiple violinists and multiple lieteners. And the results have been consistant with substantial wins for the new violins

Music Lane

Food for thought

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