What stereo(s) do you listen to? What do you want?

T4phage · Sep 10, 2008

sugar is sweet

Artisan Fan · Sep 10, 2008

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

I think he's saying that if you know which cable is which when you're listening, then your judgment can be affected by that knowledge. It is an unusually common problem.

--Andre

Perhaps in other cases, however we get cables donated to us by dealers to try so there is no financial incentive like personal ownership to bias our results.

RJman · Sep 10, 2008

Originally Posted by Artisan Fan

Perhaps in other cases, however we get cables donated to us by dealers to try so there is no financial incentive like personal ownership to bias our results.

It's not financial incentive, though -- it's just unconscious. It's very likely that if we are told that a given product is really good, we're going to look for and pick out good things about it without realizing it. That can influence tests where a high-profile product is tested against a less popular, less expensive, or less respected product. Think of those blind Coke-Pepsi taste tests, it's a bit like that, except one of the soft drinks costs $7,000 and the other is 2 cents a metre.

Artisan Fan · Sep 10, 2008

Originally Posted by RJman

It's not financial incentive, though -- it's just unconscious. It's very likely that if we are told that a given product is really good, we're going to look for and pick out good things about it without realizing it. That can influence tests where a high-profile product is tested against a less popular, less expensive, or less respected product. Think of those blind Coke-Pepsi taste tests, it's a bit like that, except one of the soft drinks costs $7,000 and the other is 2 cents a metre.

Actually most cables we listen to are $100+ a meter.

We do this like I do risk models at work. The best sounding cable is the champion and then we entertain different challengers based purely on sound quality. Further we have 3 people have a listen independently to eliminate any one person's favorable bias against any particular brand. If 2 or 3 feel there is a material improvement then we have a new champion. Without the financial incentives of ownership, we feel we eliminate most of the subjective bias.

A Y · Sep 10, 2008

Originally Posted by Artisan Fan

Without the financial incentives of ownership, we feel we eliminate most of the subjective bias.

It's not just financial incentives that cause bias. Maybe you think Ray Kimber's a swell guy who makes good cable, how then could his cable possibly sound worse? Or maybe you just like the connectors on one cable more, or think its design is the best, or maybe it's something else. Worse is that many of these things can occur subconsciously, and you may not even be aware of your bias.

There's no shame in admitting bias --- it's part of human nature, and the best scientists have suffered from it. And that's why comparison tests have to be designed so that these biases can have no effect on the outcome.

--Andre

Sprezzatura2010 · Sep 10, 2008

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

And that's why comparison tests have to be designed so that these biases can have no effect on the outcome.
But he either doesn't trust his ears or does trust that he's deaf, so he's afraid of that sort of thing.

T4phage · Sep 11, 2008

SUGAR IS SWEET!!!
- message brought to you by Placebo inc.

chobochobo · Sep 20, 2008

Does anyone know where Cary Audio Designs manufacture their CD players in Hong Kong please? I bought one off Ebay, but one channel is faulty

the other channel is great though. I have no appetite for a dispute, so wondering on repairs.

Artisan Fan · Sep 20, 2008

Originally Posted by chobochobo

Does anyone know where Cary Audio Designs manufacture their CD players in Hong Kong please? I bought one off Ebay, but one channel is faulty

the other channel is great though. I have no appetite for a dispute, so wondering on repairs.

Are you stateside? I would think Cary would service them here in the North Carolina headquarters.

chobochobo · Sep 21, 2008

nope, working in HK. There is a little sticker on the back that says 'assembled in HK' and info on the web says that the digital products are made in HK now.

dr.no · Sep 23, 2008

Just purchased (yet to take delivery) a Lexicon MC-12 v5.

New set-up is:

Lexicon RT-10
Lexicon MC-12
Classe CAV-150
Maggie 2.6 front / Maggie 1.6 rear / Energy CC
Kimber Monocle X / HT Pro 11+
Silver audio interconnects throughout

Next stop, subwoofer - any suggested active subwoofers that pair well with maggies would be appreciated.

Artisan Fan · Sep 23, 2008

I've heard a similar system Dr. No. Sounded great. Look at the REL subwoofers for Maggies. You need a fast sub.

A Y · Sep 23, 2008

Originally Posted by Artisan Fan

You need a fast sub.

There is no such thing as a "fast" sub. You need good sub integration, which means flexible crossover controls in the sub. Look at the usual suspects: Velodyne, Paradigm, Revel, Aerial, Hsu (who uses his subs with QUAD ESLs), and REL.

Dr. No, I have the MC-12B HD EQ. You will enjoy your unit: after 8 years, it's still one of the best surround processors you can get at any price.

--Andre

Artisan Fan · Sep 23, 2008

Not true Andre. Some subs are faster and integrate better with panel speakers. I've found REL and Maggie combinations to be best.

A Y · Sep 24, 2008

Originally Posted by Artisan Fan

Not true Andre. Some subs are faster and integrate better with panel speakers. I've found REL and Maggie combinations to be best.

A fast sub is an oxymoron. Bass frequencies by definition cannot be fast. You want a sub that has low energy storage, low distortion, flexible crossovers, and maybe low tuning Q, but you cannot have a fast sub.

Besides, panels aren't terribly fast either.

--Andre

What stereo(s) do you listen to? What do you want?

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