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Re: An attempt to explain

I think this whole thing of perception, preference and scientific validation gets way more confused that it needs to.

I'll repeat a hypothetical I just used in another post. I have two sets of cables, A and B. I switch them in and out of my system, listening each time I make the switch knowing which cable I’m listening to, and then claim that they sound different. At that point I'm describing my "perception". Whether or not my perception of difference is due to actual audible sonic differences between A and B can only be "scientifically validated" or verified through control testing, and even at that, only to a certain statistical confidence level.

If I say I like cable A better than cable B because A sounds better to me, that is my "preference", and it doesn't matter if the difference I'm hearing between the two cables is really due to actual audible sonic differences between the two cables.

It seems to me that the distinction between perception, preference and validation is just as simple as this. Moreover, I think it is important we not blur this distinction because we already have more issues, unresolved debates and obstacles in the "validation" arena than we can handle, and don't need to be unnecessarily complicating the matter further.



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