[Milsurplus] Even worse

[J. Forster]

Honestly run A-B tests are rare in the audiophool world.

Two stories:

As an undergrad, I had a friend really into hifi. He had Dynaco amps and
AR-3 speakers and would not shut up about them. We installed a power diode
in parallal with a low R pot in series with his speaker lines and
gradually increased the pot setting. He didn't notice, although the system
sounded terrible.  Eventually we told him, and never heard anything more
about his stereo system.

Some years later, the school was planning to upgrade it's auditoriums.
Bose very much wanted to get his stuff in, so I set up an A-B test. Each
system was optimally adjusted and the levels set to precisely the same on
test material. I did the switching w/ a coax relay, so nobody but I could
tell what system was operating at which time. The result was a dead heat.

IMO, it's virtually ALL hype.

FWIW,

-John

=====================



> This problem of apparently uninstitutionalized audiophools has got my
> curiosity.
> Has there been any challenges made to, and picked up by any known
> audiophools?
> That is, comparison tests whereby could they tell the difference (audio,
> with one's own ears) between the average commercial solid state system and
> their $$$$$$$$$ system?
> Even better, compare a $$$$$$$$$ system with a system brewed with maybe
> four
> 45's in the output, in cheap Bakelite sockets, a good common output
> transformer, a little frequency correction, and some  medium priced
> speakers.
> The production of sound that people can hear is the purpose.  Or, is it a
> game measured by test equipment.
> Back to the subject at hand.......................
> The manufacturers of those items don't have to sell many to be very
> comfortable; but, increasing the price of the Snake Oil leaves them still
> Snake Oil Salesmen.  Not a big difference between these manufacturers and
> the quack cancer cures.
>
> Gene Rippen, WB6SZS
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ralph Cameron" <ramcam at magma.ca>
> To: <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 3:03 PM
> Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Even worse
>
>
>> These marketeers must have escaped from Area 31?
>>
>> Ralph
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