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Power conditioners & Power Regenerators dont do anything for audio

Joe P said:
I've been thinking a lot about the merits of double-blind testing and why that methodology needs to be applied to everything we do to ensure what we perceive is real, rather than imagined. It's even more important if you post about your perceptions on a hi-fi forum because someone might call you on it, asking, hey, did you do your tests blind or sighted?

I started by double-blind testing music. Not hi-fi equipment, music. I think I like Bach and Beethoven but do I enjoy them because I really like Bach and Beethoven or is that enjoyment simply the unconscious effect of a preconceived bias? After all, they both have stellar reputations, the kind you'd expect from legendary composers, and they both have well-coiffed 'dos, which suggest gravitas and possibly salon-quality hair gel.

Bach
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Beethoven
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But maybe in reality I despise Bach and Beethoven and have convinced myself otherwise because I don't want to appear like a philistine. We must remember, the mind is susceptible to all manner of biases, not least of which is the dreaded big hair confirmation bias.

It's taken a lot of effort, but I have removed the record labels from my LPs and I've stored the albums in generic record jackets that don't reveal the identity of the album within. I've also used isopropyl alcohol to carefully remove the labels from my CDs and thrown away the little booklets inside. They all look like CD blanks now, so it's impossible to know what's in the CD player.

I can now say with statistical certainty whether I really like Bach and Beethoven because of my carefully designed double-blind tests; however, it turns out my experiment had a flaw. I was too hasty in throwing out the identifiers. I honestly don't know what I'm playing now. It could be Bach, Beethoven — or Black Sabbath for all I know.

Let this be a lesson to you. It is possible to science the joy out of your life to be statistically certain.

Joe
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I actually just read your post ( speed read it earlier ) I think your right about science stealing the joy from the soul..how wonderful it would be if the measurists became joyboys..but i can't see this happening any time soon.
Re masterful Mozart..I play the ukulele to a reasonable good standard.. and when you play these great composers, you enter their world somewhat..and Mozarts world is unbridled zest for life..it really comes across in the music..however I'm a miserable sod and side more with Beethoven..his late quartets are just astonishing..esp 132
 
the caretaker said:
I actually just read your post ( speed read it earlier ) I think your right about science stealing the joy from the soul..how wonderful it would be if the measurists became joyboys..but i can't see this happening any time soon.
Re masterful Mozart..I play the ukulele to a reasonable good standard.. and when you play these great composers, you enter their world somewhat..and Mozarts world is unbridled zest for life..it really comes across in the music..however I'm a miserable sod and side more with Beethoven..his late quartets are just astonishing..esp 132
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Slightly off topic, but I too like Mozart and the ukulele but have never really considered them together. In your opinion which Mozart pieces best transpose to the ukulele?
 
Purité Audio said:
Loudspeakers do sound quite differently from each other even when their measurements are pretty similar, if a customer wishes to compare unsighted that can be arranged.
Keith
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So that’s a no, then. You’re not concerned that auditioning sighted, a high sticker price system versus a lower cost option might introduce (shock horror) expectation bias, and mistakenly lead some fool to spend more money with than they would otherwise.

I would have thought that your “much-acclaimed” room adjustment by DSP and “perfect and fully transparent” DAC and class D integrated amps will give a perfect in-room FR making all speakers sound very similar.
 
The purpose of unsighted, level matched comparison is to identify if any difference exists, once you have reliably identified a difference then you can decide which presentation you prefer.
Loudspeakers even when they measure similarly do sound different, extension, directivity, FR etc .
I am more than happy to level match and demonstrate unsighted if the customer asks.
Unsighted comparison is ideal for comparing components when their measurements suggest there should be no difference, amps,dacs cables any of the products manufacturers market which purport to solve issues which do not exist.
Keith
 
Purité Audio said:
Loudspeakers even when they measure similarly do sound different, extension, directivity, FR etc .
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I would have assumed that extension, directivity and FR are amply addressed in measurements, so devices that measure similarly will by the accepted logic of this place, sound the same. So what this suggests to me is, either, that the measurements don't tell the whole story; or, that small differences are nevertheless audible; or, you are mistaken and they do sound the same. Have you identified the differences unsighted, to a suitable degree of statistical significance? Do you have your scores so we can check?
 
MikeMA said:
Slightly off topic, but I too like Mozart and the ukulele but have never really considered them together. In your opinion which Mozart pieces best transpose to the ukulele?
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I'm at work..but when I get home..I'll find a couple or three..not esp difficult but very pretty in my opinion
 
Purité Audio said:
The purpose of unsighted, level matched comparison is to identify if any difference exists, once you have reliably identified a difference then you can decide which presentation you prefer.
Loudspeakers even when they measure similarly do sound different, extension, directivity, FR etc .
I am more than happy to level match and demonstrate unsighted if the customer asks.
Unsighted comparison is ideal for comparing components when their measurements suggest there should be no difference, amps,dacs cables any of the products manufacturers market which purport to solve issues which do not exist.
Keith
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This would strongly suggest that the wrong thing is being measured.
 
I would look at the suite of loudspeaker measurements performed by either Erin ( Erins audio corner) or Amir over at ASR both use the Klippel NFS.
Keith
 
The porpoise of unsighted, level-matched comparisons is a bottlenosed dolphin. His name is Flipper.

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Man, does Flipper have a set of Golden Ears! I know you can't see them because marine animals need to be sleek to have a low coefficient of drag, and sticky-out ears would fly in the face of that, but trust me his ears are good to well over 100 kHz.

Joe
 
Joe P said:
The porpoise of unsighted, level-matched comparisons is a bottlenosed dolphin. His name is Flipper.

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Man, does Flipper have a set of Golden Ears! I know you can't see them because marine animals need to be sleek to have a low coefficient of drag, and sticky-out ears would fly in the face of that, but trust me his ears are good to well over 100 kHz.

Joe
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I reckon the most important measurement of his hifi is its waterproof capabilities. No MDF cabinets for his speakers, I bet.
 
adamdea said:
At last I find something you write that I agree with (I marginally prefer 135 and 130 (with gf) but let's not quibble).
Incidentally 132 from the Jerusalem quartet is at the Wigmore hall this week.
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I like the old quartets..quartetto Italiano was fantastic..
 
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