[sdiy] O/T Hi-Fi Snake Oil - UKP700 power lead

[Tom Wiltshire]

Great article!

Here's the executive summary:

"The total number of correct answers was 73 out of 149, which amounts to 49% accuracy. That is no more accurate than flipping a coin, and therefore, no statistically significant detection of power cable differences."

If you want to spend a grand to make your music sound better, you'd be better off taking Dave's suggestion and getting over to Amsterdam. Just make sure you can still find your stereo afterwards, and don't fall in the canals.

T.


On 25 Aug 2010, at 15:02, Clarke Robinson wrote:

> Colin f wrote:
>> 
>> There is a simple and accurate way to establish whether something affects
>> audio quality or not - the double blind ABX listening test.
>> Applied to a statistically meaningful sample of people, this will show,
>> regardless of whether the reasons are psychological, physiological or
>> physical, whether people can hear a difference or not.
>> Snake-oil salesmen rarely submit to this sort of testing, and when they do,
>> and it proves their wares worthless, they attack the method, since it
>> totally eliminates the Placebo effect they make their money from.
>>  
> I spent several years as a would-be audiophile, in fact I think I'm still on the masthead at enjoythemusic.com, where I've published a few reviews. I spent quite a bit of time trying to determine fact from fiction in that wacky world...never got so far down the rat-hole as to try out different power cords, but I've tried most of the known testing methods, and one thing I can assure you: a double blind ABX listening test is not at all simple to perform.
> 
> Hardest is the "double blind" part, where neither the tester *nor* test subject know which component is playing. How would you change a power cord in an audio system without anyone in the room knowing that you changed it (including yourself)?
> 
> That said, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of this article, if you haven't read it already:
> 
> http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_11_4/feature-article-blind-test-power-cords-12-2004.html
> 
> ...in which probably the looniest of all audio reviewers subjects himself to an ABX listening test of power cords. It's actually a single-blind test, for reasons explained in the article (and above), but an amusing read if you're in to that type of thing, although you know already how it turns out!
> 
> - Clarke
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