What's your view on blind testing?

It can take weeks of listening to tease out subtle differences of even relatively significant differences between components.

However, if someone writes that their jaw dropped when component or wire or tweak X was inserted into their system, that person should be able to identify X in a blind test.

I think that reviewers should participate in a well designed blind test every couple of years just for fun, for bragging rights, just to see what the pros can and can't hear. A lighthearted mood should be maintained during the test and no one's job should be dependent on the results.

The "of" after the word "differences" in the first line of my post above should read "or."

We're doing it again. Letting perfection become the enemy of good. If we can't have perfection we will have nothing and good will not be done.

There is no reason to try to set up a perfect double blind test. How about having someone outside of Stereophile set up a system in the Stereophile offices with say two different amps that are covered and a device to switch between them.

When the reviewers are in the office, they can listen and state which amp they prefer. After most have given their preference, the identity of the amps and who liked which or if they were able to distinguish between the amps would be revealed. This would be done for fun and enlightenment.

There is no need to set up a statistically valid double blind test. Isn't this hobby supposed to be for fun (and enlightenment)? Let's have some fun and let go of our tightly held dogma.