four heads in a row is considered unlikely??
by whom?
Re stress and familiarity. Most audiophiles that do a test do need to do it on their own system, with music they feel will show the difference. Of course, why not maximise the chance of detection?
I would like to note most of the objections to DBTs come from dyed in the wool audiophiles, to use a phrase.
usually, the very same audiophiles that make claims like 'Cables make a huge and undeniable difference, in fact you can make a $40 000 pair of speakers sound crap when you use the wrong ones'.
As Ethan pointed out, and I agree with,..... well it is actually how I audition products/upgrades, 'if it does not make an immediate and unmistakeable difference then I don't care how cheap it is I'm not interested.'
So what do we make of such an unequivocal statement like the cable one above???
Well, if the audiophile making the claim want's it to be accepted as fact (and nothing in the wording argues against that I might add!) then he should be able to show that he CAN, indeed, tell these cables apart as
easily as it sounds like he can. (heck, I'd just be happy that he could differentiate them, but that's another story)
And, I can pretty well guarantee you that IF he did the test, at the least he would admit that the difference was
not as large as he'd always falsely claimed.
I mean if the persona was some sort of opinion leader, and committed to the truth of things, you'd think they would do the test for honesty's sake?
So, they are done IN the home, on HIS system, WITH the gear he
already claims he can tell apart.
Why would I feel stress when testing my claim that I can tell my daughters apart?? I'd feel rather confident actually.
IF I felt stress about something, it surely has to be related to the magnitude of my claim and the confidence I felt about that claim??
If that is true, and you feel stressed about taking the test, then
STOP making claims like 'cables are the make break point of a system, they can make even the best speakers sound like crap, and good cables can make a crap pair of speakers sound magnificent'.
Or, if you make that claim, have the balls to back it up???
[I might add just for completeness....the person does NOT usually feel stressed going into the test. Why?? Because he knows he can easily tell them apart. Ahh, the 'excuses' only need to start coming after the first time he flicks from one to the other blinded. THEN he starts to realise.....but until then it's all night and day ain't it??
What I don't get is why the person can't just say 'well, ha, how about that, all this stuff about our knowledge influencing things has something to it after all' and go away having learned something about himself, his system and the universe??
But they CAN'T can they? No, they have to continue arguing black and blue that, no matter what they heard blinded, that these differences are
still night and day, that somehow not knowing which was which just totally fucked everything up completely, it somehow managed to make them think the sun was the moon, the moon the sun and other equally silly things,.....
they have to completely deny their own senses....the VERY same senses they proclaim elsewhere that are so sensitive and unaffected by anything other than audible stimuli!!!!-------- I can't be the only one to find this the ultimate irony can I?
Why not just 'hahaha, boy, they are a bit more similar that I thought??']
It just makes me pretty angry when this type of stuff just get's spouted by the magazines and online press. THEN they will cover their arse by saying stuff like 'dbts don't work' or somesuch.
Of course, in most cases there can never be a challenge to what they write can there?They publish and say what THEY want.
THEN, these same guys get on line forums and sprout the same guff...THEN whinge and moan when they (after all this time) FINALLY get challenged!! "ooh, we just want to talk on a forum, and all you guys come up with stuff about dbt's" "we just want to socialise"
(all leading to a push against any discussion of dbts being made...as if the net is not already completely biased toward any audiophile making any claim he wishes in the confidence he won't get challenged...and when he does get challenged he cries, moans and wrings his hands about being persecuted and hounded.)
Here is an example of the extreme rubbish a publication can make, yet those that disagree have no rights of redress or correction (ie, where is OUR article in return??)
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/fragilesouls/fragilesouls.html
Absolute rubbish.