Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site hou4b.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!houxm!hogpc!houti!ariel!hou4b!ebh
From: ebh@hou4b.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: The Pepsi Challenge
Message-ID: <1189@hou4b.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 23-Oct-84 18:42:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou4b.1189
Posted: Tue Oct 23 18:42:39 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Oct-84 19:08:53 EDT
Organization: AT&T-ISL, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 38

There has been a lot of vehement discussion lately on the subject of
CD's versus LP's, with no real results.  But one thing I see repeatedly
from both sides, and the neutral articles, is a suggestion of a single-
or double-blind test between your favorite LP and the corresponding CD.

Consider a situation which I beleive is analogous to this issue:

We've all heard of, and some of us have taken, the infamous Pepsi
Challenge, where the subject is handed two small cups of cola and asked
which is preferred, tastewise.  This is not double-blind, since the
Pepsi employee knew which cola went into which cup, but since there was
no apparent difference in cup, color, etc., the test did qualify as
single-blind.  However, it did seem to postulate one thing that was not
true - that the subject was evaluating each taste with the same set of
criteria.

When I took the test, I took one sip out of each cup, pointed to one of
them, and said, correctly, "This one is the Pepsi, and I prefer it."
(Which I do, BTW.)  The test was not objective, since I recognized the
tastes of Pepsi and Coca-Cola.  Knowing which was which, I could no
longer apply the ame criteria to each cola.

I believe the same holds true with audio tests.  Were I to take a
similar test comparing an LP and a CD, I'd know which was which as soon
as I heard or did not hear the low hiss of the needle in the groove, or
some other telltale sign that has nothing to do with the music.  At that
point, regardless of any other factors, the test would be corrupted.

My question then, to the people engaged in this debate is:  Is it
possible at all to objectively compare the two media on the basis of
musical reproduction and nothing else?  My position is:  It is not.
The medium will make itself apparent, allowing the subject's
preconceived notions to cloud the necessary objectivity.

Meanwhile, my LP's and CD's peacefully coexist on their shelves, and
their numbers grow at roughly the same rate.

-Ed Horch   {ihnp4,akgua,houxm}!hou4b!ebh