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From: sjc@mips.UUCP (Steve "The" Correll)
Newsgroups: rec.audio,sci.physics,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Double-blind tests
Message-ID: <694@quacky.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 18-Sep-87 17:03:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: quacky.694
Posted: Fri Sep 18 17:03:39 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 20-Sep-87 21:31:22 EDT
References: <3827@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> <551@unisoft.UUCP> <3849@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>
Lines: 30
Xref: mnetor rec.audio:3357 sci.physics:2228 sci.electronics:1376

In article <3849@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, bmaraldo@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (Commander Brett Maraldo) writes:
>     ...it is
>     important to prepare the analytic procedure such that you can convince
>     any number of people that you have proceeded in a scientific method.
>     ...Example:  'I performed a double-blind test in
>     which I ABXed two speaker systems.  I identified speaker A 15/16
>     trials.' - this is a typical example of the verbiage used to document
>     many such 'double-blind' test procedures.  It is honest and scincer,
>     but it lacks description of scientific method.  This is the format many
>     documented double-blind testare found in.  It is inadequate as it shows
>     no evidence of scientific methods or procedures; only objectivism and 
>     naivete to scientific method.

Are you familiar with the double-blind amplifier comparison described
in the January 1987 "Stereo Review"? The article documents the size and
shape of the listening room, the number of listeners (both pro- and
anti-golden ear), the music used (listeners were allowed to bring their
own, which turned out to include material on both LP and CD from
Reference Recordings and Sheffield), the equipment and cables used
(aside from the amplifiers under test, it was chosen by the proprietor
of a Wisconsin high-end shop), the method of switching (listeners could
use an ABX box or, if they preferred, they could have the speaker
cables swapped by hand after extended listening), the number of trials,
the duration of the listening sessions. The article is really pretty explicit
about the test procedures.

The result? I won't give away the ending, except to say that the next system
I buy may be made in Japan :-).
-- 
...decwrl!mips!sjc						Steve Correll