watchnerd
Grand Contributor
I don't think blind tests are very useful any more because all the major audio debates that we could use ABX/DBT to solve are resolved.
We now know pretty well how good stuff needs to get for transparency to kick in, both for electronics and for media.
The remaining big problems in audio playback are so huge you don't need blind testing, namely the speakers and the room.
If I expose someone to something that truly advances the experience, like HRTF, you don't need blind testing to discriminate it from something else.
Blind testing is for minutiae, and we've solved most of those to the degree than any engineering time spent on them is arguing over angels on a pinhead.
We now know pretty well how good stuff needs to get for transparency to kick in, both for electronics and for media.
The remaining big problems in audio playback are so huge you don't need blind testing, namely the speakers and the room.
If I expose someone to something that truly advances the experience, like HRTF, you don't need blind testing to discriminate it from something else.
Blind testing is for minutiae, and we've solved most of those to the degree than any engineering time spent on them is arguing over angels on a pinhead.