Well, first off I agree that setting up and running a proper dbt is hard work. I did it a few years ago. And, it was NOT ABX, just blind AB I spose you'd call it.
It took a lot of time and effort, and the Amirs point always applies, due to human nature (he calls it the make ego) it will always be interpreted by the reader according to his previously held position.
The good news is, that for a very short while at least, those who actually partook gad their eyes opened...a few beers was all it took however before it started to become that it was easy to tell them apart...that fish just grew bigger and bigger as the beers went down! (after the test I mean..it became a party)
To accomplish the test (so the listener had full control over what was what and when) we used a switch box at the LP. Well, as you can imagine, to some that was a fatal flaw yada yada.
There was a 'flaw'..or at least a weakness, that I too found when doing the test. As it involved two completely different front ends tied to one unchanging speaker, it also involved cuing up two identical cd's (as best we could time wise) and flickming between the two. That meant IF, for example, you thought there was a certain passage that might have been revealing, you could not re-listen to that passage on the other...as there were two distinct cds playing in two different players (did that make sense?)
So, if you wanted, learning was available. I learnt stuff too.
To a very large extent I too am dismayed that most forum discussion is not about learning, it is about maintaining rightness. Seriously, what is the point of that? I realise that is a personal thing, so others may not feel the same way.
To the 'deniers' (is there a better word??) why not TRY a level matched blind test?? I don't care what it is you do, forget ABX or ABC or NBC or CBC, just ensure the two most important factors, 'blind' and 'level matched'.
I assure you (and herein lies the problem I suspect) you WILL be shocked. Can you still hear differences?? YES, you can. People did hear differences in my very own test, that was not a problem for me..it might have been surprising yes, but I am always wanting to learn.
So funnily enough, THAT was one of the major thing to come out of my test, a blind test CAN and DOES still produce differences contrary to the oft produced canard. I'd say the differences were very much like that graph of seans, they were still there but by crikey the skewing provided by 'sight' (or knowledge) were gone!
Well, as the speakers were constant the differences were much less than it appears in seans graph.
So it's not a matter of 'all amps sound the same', or whatever, it is all about being brave enough to listen with the ears only. A lot are not brave enough to even try, and then they probably go on to trying to market multi kw amps or something. AND, you'd think that even for business considerations you'd at least do a bit of homework, well if you were normal that is.
Amir is completely correct on another matter. I earl;ier spoke of human nature, well sadly that applies to all on the net (I like to think I don't exhibit this as much, but I KNOW I do and must!!). Not only do we have the 'deniers' denying some BT results, we also have the 'acceptors' denying some...those that they TOO do not accept as it clashes with their pre-existing beliefs. What I mean is they will uncritically accept a result they expect or agree with, yet go to town finding faults in procedure of methodology in a contrary result.
Why is one group not subjected to the same scrutiny for properness or competence than the other IF truth is what we are after?
That, I suspect, is what lies at the bottom of a lot of Gregs position (correct me if wrong greg, not wanting to put words in your mouth) and others...well I sympathise completely. In many ways I find it far more hypocritical when that happens than when Greg (say) says 'I don't accept blind tests so I won't do them', at least he is being true to his beliefs.
But to accept any (possibly) poorly run 'blind test' simply because it is what you want and to try and find fault with those you don't want..well I see double standards at work there.
Yet greg, whilst agreeing with you in many ways, I cannot overlook the fact that you (and others) simply refuse to try a blind level matched test.
Look behind the screen, the wizard might not quite be what you expect (poor attempt at a movie reference...but as I don't watch movies it is probably very poor haha).
But equally, I fully understand that to some the magic and myth is what gives enjoyment.
