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From: ark@alice.UUCP (Andrew Koenig)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: A/B CD, Bose, etc.
Message-ID: <3626@alice.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 23-Apr-85 15:58:44 EST
Article-I.D.: alice.3626
Posted: Tue Apr 23 15:58:44 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Apr-85 04:20:37 EST
References: <1209@houxm.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Murray Hill
Lines: 42

> However, Andrew, if you feel that the Bose are adequate for you listening
> tests the burden of proof is on you as the experimenter (you should know
> this -- for shame).  Since I know of no such documentation, it looks as
> though you're going to have a busy day in the lab.

I have never claimed that it is impossible for anyone to hear
the difference between the two particular CD players tested
under any circumstances.  I merely made the claim that five
specific individuals heard no differences under specific,
carefully-documented conditions.

I completely agree that the test we conducted does not prove
that using different speakers would reveal differences we could
not formerly here.  In fact, in order to prove that, we would
have to try at least one of every make and model of loudspeaker
in existence -- an impossible task!

In part, our experiment was performed in an attempt to suggest
that others should try similar experiments in different circumstances:
a positive result using the same two models of CD players
and different ancillary equipment would be interesting indeed.

Of course, an experiment that produces a positive result in this
sort of test must be controlled far more carefully than one that
produces a negative result, so that we can be sure that the
difference is real, and not just apparent.

For instance, our test was single-blind.  If one of us had been
able to hear a difference between the CD players, we would have
had to devise a double-blind test to make sure that the listeners
were not being biased by the knowledge of which machine was which.

And so on, and so on.

By the way, I can think of lots of reasons people might not want
to use Bose 901's as studio monitors.  The most obvious one is
that the equalizer ahead of the power amp makes it impossible
to mix 901's with anything else without getting more amplifiers.

Also, monitor speakers tend to be excessively bright, to compensate
for the high-frequency hearing loss that comes from years of 90-db
mixdowns.