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

[Harry Bissell]

Bob speaks...   

http://www.national.com/rap/Story/0,1562,3,00.html

H^) harry


----- Original Message -----
From: Tony Rolando <tony at makenoisemusic.com>
To: Clarke Robinson <clarke at robinsononline.com>
Cc: Synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
Sent: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:41:22 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: [sdiy] O/T Hi-Fi Snake Oil - UKP700 power lead



Clarke Robinson wrote:
> Colin f wrote:
>>  
>>  
>>> 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)?
>>>     
>>
>> You need some automated switching under control of the software that 
>> makes
>> the random selection of X from A and B, and tracks the subject's 
>> selections.
>> For a power cord, you could build a box with some relays to switch 
>> over the
>> earth, neutral and live connections at the wall and device ends of 
>> the test
>> and control cables.
>> No doubt some audiophile types would claim that the addition of the 
>> relays
>> to the system would 'mask' the benefits of the cable...
>>   
> They would (and do) indeed say that...however the main complication 
> for me is that no such device exists. I'm sure there are many on this 
> list who could make one, but that automatically takes performing such 
> a test out of the realm of being "simple". Then you would need a 
> different type of unit to enable the ABX testing of amplifiers, and 
> yet another one for preamps. Can you imagine what kind of machine you 
> would need to blind test speakers (considering the very real impact 
> that speaker placement has on sound)?

I suppose you would have to begin by doing a blind test of the relays to 
be certain they did not color the sound. So a double blind ABX test of 
the relays vs. no relays to determine the coloration caused by the relays.

How do we test the relays without known transparent relays to switch 
them in and out of the test system?

I'll tell you how, you throw them in the river. If they float, the 
relays are good, no coloration. If they drown, then the relays were witches.

T
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-- 
Harry Bissell & Nora Abdullah 4eva