Can We Hear Differences Between AC Power Cords?

Actually, as Michael pointed out, he never said anything at all to that effect. Consider yourself hoisted by your own petard. Anyway, what did that have to do with anything?

julian, many people find the effect of a placebo diminished once they know it's a placebo. If that hasn't happened for you, well, fair enough - each to his own.

 

pete,
if you wanted to take things even further doesn;t the fact that those participating in a blind abx test KNOW that they are participating in a test and that there will be some mains cables being swapped influence their perception?
as you say - each to their own.
cheers


julian

 

So Pete,

your blinkers extend beyond the audio arena

 

Of course it does, and this is one of the big problems with designing any kind of perceptual experiment - and why an experiment involving the very simplest judgement, ie. ABX, is so useful as it pares everything right down to the absolute fundamental, ie. is there an audible difference or not.

IIRC though most or all of those taking part firmly believed they could hear a difference, yet once blinded they were clearly totally unable to do so.

It'd have been a mildly amusing piece of wordplay on your part if it had come off properly. I thought the way it backfired made it considerably funnier though

 

Isn't it obvious? Just basic psychology. The more you've paid for something the more you're prepared to believe that it's doing something special.

As I already pointed out previously, I didn't assume anything. The fact that you're repeating a line of argument you've already lost makes this discussion a complete waste of time.

Michael.

 

My power cables sound different when I unplug them.

-- Ian

 

Just be to more sensible for awhile. This article is indeed a good read. Not because the outcome agrees with my own personal believe. It is because the way they seems to have done it are more neutral and involve more people compare to the other HiFI+ attempt at blind comparison. Let's see if I could answer your suggestion above.

In the Secrets test those 15 people are ask before the test results are known whether they think they could hear a difference between the 2 cords. Going back to the article.

14 out of the 15 says yes they believed the test was arrange it a way they think they did notice differences. And they all believe they could hear a moderate amount of differences between the 2 types of cords. In a score of 1-5 they are convince there was a noticeable differences and they all give a rating of 2 to a high 4 for one person.

However, they don't seem to be able to demonstrate this when the results are analyse. Their ability seems to be an average 50% or not better then if they all guess the choices randomly. Could the result be skewed by some one with poor ability? They also to try check whether this was the case. In this case they all seems to be have an unhealthy audiophiles tendency, like us? One person seems to have an extra ordinary ability by scoring 70% correct. However, he gave a low rating of 2.5 for question 2. Compare that to two people who think they notice a huge difference only to go on to score a lower 40% in fact.

This test is a better method then the Hifi+ because that only has 3 people. Lower statistical significant. They are ask to give a subjective score of what is better not identify X from a choice of A or B which makes the result difficult to interpret. Do we expect everyone to agree what sounds? If I find Linn CDP is better then how come others prefer Naim or Krell?

In summary I think the test should be repeated by other independent groups to see if they give the same conclusion. Perhaps some would also like to repeat the ABX comparison using a longer period of listening in their own home rather then a short session of 2 hours long. Whether this would provide any stronger ability to differentiate small differences are debatable but unless it is tested it would be difficult to know.

 

So what you are telling me is that do don't actually believe what you write in your posts then You simply throw opinions in that may or may not be yours in the interests of stoking the fire so to speak. Follow that up with a few put downs and off for that smug Americano Grande in the plaza.

The more you post Michael, the more I think you really should run for office

 

I still remember the mad hippy's classic response to the question -

Q:
'where should I put my expensive interconnect'?

A:
'e-bay'!

 

Well, this morning I've been A/B testing.

When unplugged, the cables give an inky black background. I'm sure I could detect the difference blind. The problem is level matching, when I plug them in again the volume gets a bit louder.

-- Ian

 

A bit? You must be deaf. If not then you need to improve the sound proofing in your living room since the back ground noise must be extremely loud. The difference between unplug and plug should be at least 40 up to 80dB in loud sections of the musical programmes.

 

I carried out the same test as SSB, but had different results.
I found the while my girlfriend was listening to Paul Weller, the music became much more enjoyable with the power cords removed.
I think this may be system or cable dependant.

 

Careful you don't play aronund with that mains switch too much Ian.

You may find yourself listening to some music (admittedly through the putrid veil of RFI and voltage spikes!), something the objectivists don't have time to do properly.

Come on join the Wanky Wire Fanclub (W.W.F)! You know it makes sense

 

I'm telling you nothing of the sort. That was the accusation I levelled at you, I see you haven't denied it

You've summed yourself up very nicely. Quite surprising self knowledge really .

Pot. Kettle. Black.

Michael.

 

I do like to be beside the seaside, I do like to be beside the sea.
You also are forgetting here, those that steadfastly refuse to hear any difference, no matter what, and I believe taking the power lead out still DOESN'T effect the result

 

Everything I post comes from the heart Michael. Sincerity is the first rule as far as I am concerned and I have no time for skirting round the issues or spinning yarns.

Hardly qualifies me for a life in politics now does it? Although you on the other hand

 

In the case under discussion those 15 people really try to seek out the differences and they do believe they did heard something audible however, the result don't bear this out.

 

So merlin, you preferred a freebie IC to some expensive Cardas? Or was that not quite so sincere?

 

Not quite! You paid more for the Chord DAC64 than you paid for the GBP 100 NOS DAC yet, you still reported the NOS DAC as being "something special" (i.e. it outperformed the DAC64 in all areas) even at it's comparatively low cost of GBP 100. So how do you explain that? Reverse psychology perhaps?


Enjoy the music,

Lawrie.

 

Why don't you believe me Michael?