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Re: So we disagree about how much we agree (or disagree)?

Posted by andy_c on August 30, 2004 at 20:56:00

In Reply to: So we disagree about how much we agree (or disagree)? posted by Commuteman on August 30, 2004 at 16:18:16:

In the post above, you stated:

"However, you seem to have developed the impression that I equate "I like it more" with "it's better". I don't recall ever suggesting this. Nor have I suggested that one should pick cables based on whim..."

And in your "We're still at square zero" post, you stated:

"Ranking cables (i.e. assigning a value or "goodness" judgement) according to measurements that don't correlate to a subjective outcome is a completely pointless exercise (unless you're using the cables for something other than reproduction of music)."

I interpreted this second statement as an insistence that the measurement correlate to a subjective outcome without regard to the vailidity of the subjective outcome. You've already stated that possible subjective outcomes are the preference for a less accurate component. Implied in your second statement above (through the lack of any mention of specific qualifications on the validity of the subjective outcome) is the assumption that any subjective outcome is valid by definition, and that measurements must be formulated somehow to agree with that outcome, whatever it may be. Imposing such a requirement on measurements is in effect a guarantee that we will always be at square zero.

I would argue that the solution would at least partially involve putting controls on the subjective evaluation process such that it yields an outcome that isn't just random or influenced by external stimuli (such as how much the evaluator paid for the component). This of course leads to the often censored topic of (gasp) controlled listening tests. In other words, you'll never get a "BS measurement" to agree with a controlled "no BS subjective listening result", just as you won't get a "no BS measurement" to agree with a "BS subjective result listening test result". But by the human nature of subjective listening evaluation, it's going to be harder to prevent BS from entering the results of a subjective listening evaluation.

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