Sighted Listening Tests?

[audiopro92]

Check out this link: Audio Musings by Sean Olive: The Dishonesty of Sighted Listening Tests

I'm going out on a limb and suggesting that blind listening tests (when buying audio equipment) are unnecessary. It might even distort the reality you experience because our auditory memory is so short.

Let us first consider the following:

1) A costly bottle of scotch - bought because your friend recommended it. You had high hopes (psychological determinations) and were excited to try.
Result: After pouring yourself a glass, you find the flavors to be amiss. You much prefer your favorite scotch; which is on sale for a fraction of the cost.

2) Fine dining - At a steakhouse. You get your steak medium rare like you always do.
Result: When it arrives it looks delicious; after a few bites you realize you don't really like it.

3) High-End audio (or any level of audio quality) You buy a new DAC for your integrated amplifier.
Result: The reviews must have been written by novices; because you find it's lacking in key areas.

You could easily apply the above to experiencing virtually anything new in life.
The result will always be the same - You either like it or don't like it. And you have reasons why or why not.

In each of of the above scenarios, we are fully aware of the object we are experiencing. Taking one of our senses away (sight) would not change the result.

I don't believe it's possible to lie to yourself and conform to an unwavering subjective or objective belief about something forever. In our case, it's audio equipment.

Eventually, even if you repeat a lie a thousand times; The truth will overshadow that lie. Intellectual honesty, good judgement, and reasoning take center stage.

Certainly, a dealer could lie to you and convince you of a tweak in a system that is non-existent. Feel-good neurotransmitters overflow and adrenaline take over.

Perhaps you make a silly purchase and realize it wasn't worth it later on.

However, we cannot lie to ourselves.

- DMK

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I don't believe it's possible to lie to yourself and conform to an unwavering subjective or objective belief about something forever. In our case, it's audio equipment.

There's no such thing as an objective belief. Objectivity is based on data and facts.

Eventually, even if you repeat a lie a thousand times; The truth will overshadow that lie. Intellectual honesty, good judgement, and reasoning take center stage.

I guess you missed what happened in Germany last century. This is not meant as a political statement but offered as evidence of the effectiveness of the repetition of lies.

I think you also didn't study psychology in college. Conscious awareness is reality filtered through memory and habit.

 

[audiopro92]

There's no such thing as an objective belief. Objectivity is based on data and facts.

I guess you missed what happened in Germany last century. This is not meant as a political statement but offered as evidence of the effectiveness of the repetition of lies.

I think you also didn't study psychology in college. Conscious awareness is reality filtered through memory and habit.

Sure there is...such a thing as an objective belief! Yes, Obviously, being objective requires data and facts.

I was not alive then (during world war 2). I did, however, study the history. Propaganda in a large group or a collective (number of citizens) is not the same thing as one person experiencing an audio system first-hand. These two experiences are incomparable.

...

Please stay on topic.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

OK, I'll spare you the grief but I cannot entertain your arguments when you deny the relevance of known science.

 

[audiopro92]

Science, eh?

Audio in media
Book by Stanley Alten

And

Sensitivity of Human Ear

Great info above.

 

[audiopro92]

With sighted listening tests we could say: preconceived beliefs based on reading reviews, personal bias against a brand, emotional attachment to a particular brand (so you believe it will be better/superior), the design and high-end external casework that impresses us...

All of this crashes and burns when we - for example:

Bring home a new headphone, new amp, new DAC, etc. and don't like what we hear.
We might even detest the lack of sound quality. High hopes are crushed.

A personal, first-hand experience overshadows all of the preconditioning we may experience before we audition new audio equipment.
The same can be said for a demo of a full system at an audio shop. The mind can only play true and false at this point. A or B.

We do literally everything else sighted.

You can't properly listen to a pair of speakers blindfolded. The blindfold would get in the way and impair what we hear.
You can't properly listen to a pair of headphones blindfolded. It could mess with how they fit and influence frequency response.
You could close your eyes but that might get to be annoying and difficult to maintain. It won't be possible to concentrate normally.
You can do an ABX test, but then you precondition yourself because you now believe it's an infallible test. You may be guessing.
Take away your sight - where is that crescendo coming from? Left, right, or dead in the middle? You're guessing now.
8 out of 10 times right - is based on faith in statistics and probability. The test subject and/or tester could be lying or reaching false conclusions.

What's different or what stayed the same? Measurements can also precondition us to believe there can't possibly be an audible difference. Considering how sensitive human hearing is - it makes sense that many audio enthusiasts can pick up the smallest changes in their systems.

Guessing is worse than experiencing audio equipment with all of your senses fully-intact.
So far all listening, I choose to keep my eyes AND ears open.

- DMK

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Science, eh?

Audio in media
Book by Stanley Alten

And

Sensitivity of Human Ear

Great info above.

Yup. FWW, that second link misuses (for better popular understanding) the term amplification. Not uncommon.

 

[audiopro92]

Yup. FWW, that second link misuses (for better popular understanding) the term amplification. Not uncommon.

Perhaps you should contact them and request an edit. Let's see what they say...

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Perhaps you should contact them and request an edit. Let's see what they say...

That's not my job. The explanations are fundamentally correct although the terminology is too casual.

 

[Analog Scott]

Check out this link: Audio Musings by Sean Olive: The Dishonesty of Sighted Listening Tests

I'm going out on a limb and suggesting that blind listening tests (when buying audio equipment) are unnecessary. It might even distort the reality you experience because our auditory memory is so short.

Let us first consider the following:

1) A costly bottle of scotch - bought because your friend recommended it. You had high hopes (psychological determinations) and were excited to try.
Result: After pouring yourself a glass, you find the flavors to be amiss. You much prefer your favorite scotch; which is on sale for a fraction of the cost.

2) Fine dining - At a steakhouse. You get your steak medium rare like you always do.
Result: When it arrives it looks delicious; after a few bites you realize you don't really like it.

3) High-End audio (or any level of audio quality) You buy a new DAC for your integrated amplifier.
Result: The reviews must have been written by novices; because you find it's lacking in key areas.

You could easily apply the above to experiencing virtually anything new in life.
The result will always be the same - You either like it or don't like it. And you have reasons why or why not.

In each of of the above scenarios, we are fully aware of the object we are experiencing. Taking one of our senses away (sight) would not change the result.

I don't believe it's possible to lie to yourself and conform to an unwavering subjective or objective belief about something forever. In our case, it's audio equipment.

Eventually, even if you repeat a lie a thousand times; The truth will overshadow that lie. Intellectual honesty, good judgement, and reasoning take center stage.

Certainly, a dealer could lie to you and convince you of a tweak in a system that is non-existent. Feel-good neurotransmitters overflow and adrenaline take over.

Perhaps you make a silly purchase and realize it wasn't worth it later on.

However, we cannot lie to ourselves.

- DMK

The science is clear on the subject. Sighted auditions are tainted and inherently far less reliable. And I promise you, multi disciplines of science have not collectively overlooked something that you caught.