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Re: Straw man.

Merry Christmas, Pat.

Thanks for volunteering the information and kind words below. In attempting to make sense (admittedly my first mistake) of this eternal quarrel between the two warring factions, I’m oftentimes accused (by both camps) of being “on the other side.” Obviously a cautious and neutral approach is not appreciated. Thus one is confronted with a mentality akin to that of George Bush, “Either you’re with us or against us.” Perhaps even more amusing is the fact that both camps have claimed me for their very own at various times. Unlike most of those who frequent this thread, I have no rigid ideological position on this matter. Label me agnostic at this juncture. That said, commonsense would suggest that in avoiding the repeated challenges of objectivists, subjectivists will continue to suffer credibility problems. And in that regard objectivists will continue to get the best of them.

The subjectivist position has been described thus: “We don’t need no stinkin’ tests!” I suspect this position would strike most reasonable people as conveniently self-serving, perhaps even delusional. It’s the same “thinking” one bumps up against when encountering those who report regular sightings of Big Foot, but who never get around to providing tangible evidence regarding their encounters. Like the aforementioned, audio subjectivists are a highly insular group and apparently just as impotent when it comes to demonstrating their myriad claims. (Their "proof" is always anecdotal.) Moreover, they insist they don’t give a fig about garnering respect from objectivists, yet spend an inordinate amount of time and energy attempting to convince anyone (who will listen) that their claims are valid. And while it’s tempting to speculate on the motivation(s) prompting such compulsive behavior, I suppose such questions are best left to trained professionals.

If subjectivists are to gain credibility with anyone other than their own little tribe, they will need to allow some sort of scientific methodology to intrude on their hobby. (Simply put, the subjectivist position suffers from an embarrassing lack of intellectual honesty. Only a charlatan would deny that sunshine is the best disinfectant.) I was unable to access the Davis article (without paying), but the “evidence” contained in Greenhill’s study strikes me as the sort that only O.J. Simpson’s jury would swallow. It’s my understanding that no self-respecting audiophile would deign to listen to his gear through 24-gauge zip cord. That’s the sort of wire used by those who purchase their systems at Radio Shack. So why conduct the study in the first place? I’m still seeking *formal* evidence from a typical audiophile application i.e. (short runs of heavy gauge wire) suggesting cables sound differently. Was that the finding of Davis? If so, were those tested able to detect a difference while listening to *music*?

If not, then it’s difficult to avoid the impression that there’s a woeful lack of evidence to support the subjectivist position. Even so, the paucity of evidence (in and of itself) does not prove, ipso facto, that subjectivists aren’t hearing what they claim to hear. But it does put the ball squarely in their court when it comes to issues of credibility. The two camps can debate the advantages/disadvantages of DBT and single-blind A/B comparisons until the cows come home, but there’s no escaping the fact that such testing eliminates one very important potential pitfall i.e. brand/technology prejudice. There’s no way to overcome this serious psychological impediment via sighted testing.

I suspect the reason subjectivists run away from even the most innocuous forms of proposed testing is because they have conducted such tests on the sly, and have failed miserably, otherwise why not take objectivists up on their challenge and mop the floor with them? Judging by the rhetorical tone on this board there’s nothing subjectivists would relish more. The fact that they refuse to seize the opportunity to thrash their opponents suggests to me that they can’t. (Granted, reluctance to participate is not necessarily proof of ineptitude.) But again, if, as they claim, subjectivists are disinterested in the other camp’s view, then scoffers should not bother them. Yet this boards contentious tone indicates that they are *visibly* bothered. :)

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