Which is the bottom line and why Jakob and Merrill aren't going to come up with anything we can do on this forum
I think it is harder than even the ITU people think it is.
If you want to know whether a difference can be heard, simple, just invite an expert with good ears. If he can detect it than conclusion is it can be differentiated... BY HIM. But is it meaningful for others???
I've added the second 'Preferred by Listening' options to the poll.
If the person who voted pm's me I can add your choice to those options.
Thanks for the questions - it does show that you are listening to what's being said & asking relevant questions rather than just dismissing Jakob & my posts on this topic
Controls are some means of evaluating the suitability of the listeners & equipment to participate in the listening - without any such evaluation, you are correct "Trying to find out if the differences can actually be heard on random equipment or ears isn't going to be easy.". That's the whole point - you have many variables in play in "random equipment or ears" & it's impossible to draw any conclusions from such a level of uncontrolled variables.
If a series of measurements had been done by many different people at home on varied equipment & some results reported differences & others no difference, would people be happy just to take the majority of results as the "truth" without some analysis of the equipment's ability to measure known differences?
In listening tests, it's both the equipment & the people that are the 'equipment' (as it's a perceptual test) & one of these factors is very variable - people's perception
The Sine Wav test is an attempt at some basic form of control as it evaluates a file with known audible difference on "random equipment or ears " - the same participants listen to this & report their listening results. Does this not give you a crude measure of the test. Obviously it's not a definitive control but it gives a read (calibrates, if you like) on the participants & their equipment. Why do you think it's "not a good control"?
One has to understand the care necessary in doing perceptual tests of any value (Jakob has given a number of quotes & references to this) - that's why I say that forum run blind tests are good fun (for some) but when people begin to try to use them as more than that then I believe it is incorrect.
Like everything else, there are different tastes. Most people will like some tube distortion. Unless the original is sooo good that it doesn't need some kind of masking or flavor. The improved ambient and grandness might be dominant.
And, can hear the different doesn't mean know which one is better. Its not like listening to music.
And, cannot hear the different doesn't mean cannot. It takes some skill, not just good ears.
Exactly, so how do you know which is better, is it just personal preference? One problem with a difference is that it's often perceived as better purely because it's different, "a change is as good as a rest".
Yes, preference. I prefer original undistorted sound because i like to listen to music without fatigue. This should apply to everyone. But others with less sensitivity to fatigue may prefer the wrong file if there is sufficient interesting compensation.
But you see, it takes lots of experience to make correct deduction (this fatigue is not experienced in short listening like ABX altho ABX itself is fatiguing).
BTW, that is if he can pass the ABX. If not, you know what it is.
Have you listened yet, what do you think? There are some strange noises around 58s on the left channel 🙁
Thank you for actually talking like a respectful person, that's tantamount to actually getting somewhere.
Thank you for careful listening, it is both in original file and the tube loop record. Recordings are not technically perfect.
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It sounds like "boom boom pip", perhaps someone dropped something! I focused on it to see if I could hear a difference there....without much luck.
I try to be respectful but find it difficult when others show me disrespect - sorry for this personality flaw but that's the way I am - I mirror back.
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