If you could do a blind shootout...

Will the panel know the price range?

They will know they are floorstanders priced at $3K or less. Pretty hard to hide that since it is public knowledge.

First, yes. You can actually SEE the system used since it will be the same as our last shootout. Here's the link:

http://www.stereomojo.com/Small%20Speaker%20Shootout%202007/SmallSpeakerShootout2007Part1.htm

Second,just like last time, each speaker will also be fully measured with the charts published.

Third, each speaker will also get its own individual review in yet a different system, room and reviwer.

Perhaps that's why our shootouts are so well respected.

You said, "Otherwise, people looking for real useful information will be mislead to expect certain things with these speakers on their systems and in their rooms, which are different, and have stronger chance of being disapointed in reality."

"Stronger chance of being disappointed" than what? Having no information at all? We think 5 people hearing them in the same room with the same system listening to music that spans classic orchestral, jazz, male & female vocal and others, with the added full measurements AND an individual review by a single reviewer in his own room with his own system adds up to rather good information for our readers...don't you? Is it perfect? Flawless? Of course not. Nothing is. But in these cases, the object is the more accurate and unbiased info you can get, the better. Make sense?

"03-26-09: Tvad
If you know the brands in the blind shootout, is the shootout really blind?

Great question! No, it would NOT be if I were one of the judges. But I am not. The judges will not know the speakers in the shootout. We go to great lengths to keep them hidden. We make the judges leave the room between rounds so that they cannot accidentally see something during setup or even hear the white noise when we do the level matching.

Let me explain something else

Here's why we need specific model numbers:

We have a list of specific speakers submitted by our readers and fro sites like audiocircle, agon and others. The specific models that get the most "votes" or are ost requested will be the first ones requested from the manufacturers until our quota is met. So, if you just request a brand name and not a specific model, we throw it out.

Also, we cannot use speakers from AV123 or Usher because we have contracted with GR Research to do our indepedent measuring and to facilitate the shootout. GR works with AV123 and Usher so there is a conflict of interest.

Hope this helps - and thanks for the good suggestions!

Having each set up and reviewed in an optimized environment also sounds much better.

The OHMs in the $3000 range specifically would be the OHM 200 Series 3. These target "medium" sized rooms as defined on the OHM site. If the shootout room is smaller, OHM 100 Series 3 at ~ $1700 would be the ones. Significant break-in time is required to sound best, particularly with the larger models.