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Amir and Blind Testing

Let me start by saying I like watching Amir from ASR, so please let’s not get harsh or the thread will be deleted. Many times, Amir has noted that when we’re inserting a new component in our system, our brains go into (to paraphrase) “analytical mode” and we start hearing imaginary improvements. He has reiterated this many times, saying that when he switched to an expensive cable he heard improvements, but when he switched back to the cheap one, he also heard improvements because the brain switches from “music enjoyment mode” to “analytical mode.” Following this logic, which I agree with, wouldn’t blind testing, or any A/B testing be compromised because our brains are always in analytical mode and therefore feeding us inaccurate data? Seems to me you need to relax for a few hours at least and listen to a variety of music before your brain can accurately assess whether something is an actual improvement.  Perhaps A/B testing is a strawman argument, because the human brain is not a spectrum analyzer.  We are too affected by our biases to come up with any valid data.  Maybe. 

chayro

Showing 1 response by rudyb

rudyb
141 posts
 

Our hearing, or actually our brain’s hearing center, adapts ... sort of like our eyes adapt to low light levels. And the hearing center has no memory, like the smell center has, when you smell something that you smelled once years ago, you know you smelled this before.

For an AB test to work it must be possible to make the switch instantly. At the very moment of the switch you can hear the difference ... if there is any.

After a while our brain takes over and we really don’t know what is happening in those grey cells. You can still decern if you like a particular sound, or if you don’t, over time, but to hear subtle differences, instantaneous switching is the only way.

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