Believing is hearing  

It might be interesting to read a primer about perception. These psychologists do all kind of very funny experiments.
As usual you have an experimental group and a control group.
You give a paper on digital audio to the experimental group and ask them to rate this paper (hopefully not this one). But before you do you tell them a little more about the author. Now this turned out to be one of the founding fathers of digital audio, key role in developing the CD, an highly respected expert in this area, etc, etc.

The control group is asked to rate this paper but you won’t tell them any thing about the author. Guess what, the experimental group rates this article significantly higher than the control group.

Like wise, give both groups exactly the same text and ask them to rate it. The only difference is, at the bottom of this text there is a name, in one group this name indicates it has been written by a man, in the other group by a woman. Guess what, there is a significant difference in rating and any woman can tell you which one was the lowest.

 

What we belief, we will hear. What we don’t believe, we won’t hear. That’s the difference between an audiophile and a sceptic.

ABX

The best way to protect yourself against your own believes is to do a ABX test.

You have bought a high end power cord.
Listen to your equipment with the standard power cord, call this A.
Listen to your equipment with the high end power cord, call this B.
Now you know exactly how A and B sound.

Now ask a friend to do the X, he will connect a power cord at random and keep notes (trial 1=A, trial  2=A, trial 3=B, etc.)
You don’t even want to know which one he is using, you are a scientist, you want to establish facts not prejudices. Your keep your notes.

After 16 trials, you compare notes.

If you are above change level, you can hear the differences, you have made the right choice.

If you are not, you know you better don’t spend your money on another high end power cord. You win anyway.

 

More about ABX: http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=16295