Industrial design is a thing. Either you dig it or you don't.
McIntosh equipment is a great example of upscale design. Everyone knows exactly what it is as soon as they see it. People are still gushing about McIntosh today. That's something you can take to the bank if you know what I mean.
I'm partial to the old Maranz receivers, with the lights, meters, all the knobs, the weighted tuning dial, the analog tuner readout. There will never be anything like that again.
McIntosh equipment is a great example of upscale design. Everyone knows exactly what it is as soon as they see it. People are still gushing about McIntosh today. That's something you can take to the bank if you know what I mean.
I'm partial to the old Maranz receivers, with the lights, meters, all the knobs, the weighted tuning dial, the analog tuner readout. There will never be anything like that again.
"When done with this test, I explained the fake/real switch arrangement" I think that invalidates the test. It should have been done before hand. The listener was expecting only 2 valid results, A or B (not C). To him, a switch click MUST result in a change of the amps.
"The results were clear to me that he really could not really tell which amp was playing, perhaps wrong 75% of the time." If he was guessing, the results should have been closer to 50%. A 75% result shows something is wrong with the test. Too small a sample rate?
"The results were clear to me that he really could not really tell which amp was playing, perhaps wrong 75% of the time." If he was guessing, the results should have been closer to 50%. A 75% result shows something is wrong with the test. Too small a sample rate?
And my 1988 era Technics receiver is just as reliable and fixable, if need be.
But has better specs, and I can hear the difference.
It may have a "common" and less-than-snazzy techy appearance, but I'm not interested in all that, I desire performance, clarity, and reliability - I'm not one to "stare" at it while laying on the sofa and enjoying some sweet music.
Of course you're entitled to your own thoughts about this.
But you weren't "there" to fully understand the situation. and how could you, you're in another continent.
Furthermore, the conversation between me and the test subject at the time was a large part of the experiment - which I cannot spend time on here trying to recall in detail.
Therefore, attempting to "pick apart" the valid or invalid of my experiment is silly.
I agree. But a McIntosh is like a Frank Lloyd Wright house from the standpoint of design. I love Wright's work. I walk past a couple Wright houses almost every day.
I live in a mid-century ranch house. It is a lot nicer than the house I grew up in. I am more than satisfied, because it is practical and comfortable.
But I still go out of my way to walk past the Wright houses. I am a fan of industrial design, and I am a big fan of architecture. Like I said, either you dig it or you don't.
You know, in my system the blingiest piece is an old Technics tuner. It has actual analog switches (including some pushbuttons I like) but a digital tuner and readout. It is vintage but not square wheel vintage.
Everything else is a black metal box and I designed and built everything inside. Components are way better than you'd find in any kind of consumer audio equipment. Nothing glamorous, just the best circuitry and components.
Everything else is a black metal box and I designed and built everything inside. Components are way better than you'd find in any kind of consumer audio equipment. Nothing glamorous, just the best circuitry and components.
I also like the Mid Century style homes and styling of those years.
That's why I have tid-bits of stuff like that around my house.
My house was built in 1940, during WW2, solid brick construction, comfy, pleasant.
Nothing particularly stunning though, but I don't require overly fancy to be happy.
A third alternative still can exist, that is, if one can't hear any difference irrespective whether there is a switch click or not fooling ones mind, one just have to be true to oneself to begin with.
You might have come across this channel, a treasure trove of unusual architectural stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/user/kirstendirksen
One final comment about my previously posted test....
About a month BEFORE this, the test subject was given a listen to this system (tube/SS) and stated at that time that he could hear a difference of the amps.
This was with JUST the real switch, and real amp A/B switching.
Same volume levels, music may have been different.
Upon inviting him back for the second test, he assumed the setup was the same.
So my conclusion was that he was full of BS both times.
That's the way to initiate it. Have them convinced that they can hear the difference so that they won't have excuses after the real test. But often they do, the pressure of test made them not able to hear, not enough time... etc.
Well, I never pushed the claim of my tube amp sounding different or similar than my SS amp.
I merely demonstrated it, it was HE that told me that he could hear the difference when I switched amps, even though I couldn't.
And I told him that, yet he insisted that my ears were old, and that he bragged that he had those Golden Ears, being younger than me.
However, my tube amp was designed by me, and calibrated/tweaked with my test equipment to perform very close to my SS amp. - at normal room volume listening levels.
Because naturally, a 17w/per tube amp cannot compete with a 60w/per SS amp at loud concert levels.
That 2nd test (with the hidden dummy switch) a month later showed me that he was just blabbering or bragging.
Its starting to sound more like you already pretty much knew in your own mind that the guy couldn't hear a difference before doing the 2nd 'experiment?'
If so, then maybe the purpose of the 2nd experiment was more to see if you could prove it to him?
Maybe there was some mix of purposes?
Ya know, I've had several other people over before the "test subject with the golden ears" came over.
And of those "other" people, who were of various ages, and not audiophile nuts,.... none of them could tell the difference between amps.
But this particular one, my next door neighbor (the test subject), just had to be "different", had to insist that his hearing was far above normal human levels.
And I proved him wrong.
Eddie, I'm basically a "no nonsense" type of guy, I adhere to real things, I am quite reasonable, and like all humans, I have my own firm opinions based on not just beliefs, but actual facts.
I know the world is full of people with different views and such, and know when someone is talking out their backside, and further believing themselves.
After working with thousands of customers for decades, it gives me quite an insight into society's colors these days.
Thank you for being honest about that. Not scientific research exactly. Sounds kinda more like trying to teach a stubborn person a lesson?
Anyway it didn't prove the guy couldn't hear a difference if not tricked. Do you think it succeeded in teaching him a lesson?
Last edited:
- Status
- Not open for further replies.