Blind Power Cord Test & results

Albertporter...I don't want to get mixed up with the power cord thing, but perhaps you could explain why you think (pronounce actually) that, in general, a long term listening comparison is better than a quick A or B. In my experience long term comparisons become very subjective, so that it is easy to "hear" differences that don't really exist.

I agree that long term listening is the best way to determine if you really like the sound, but, to detect changes, I think that the quick A or B is best.

I think people are under too much pressure to make a decision when confronted with A or B. Why should a change in your audio system be based on a decision made in 10 seconds or less?

Have you not ever made a decision too quickly and later regretted it?

If you are truly able to tell what makes you happy in that quick a comparison, I wish I had hung out with you in college. You could have helped keep me out of decisions I made, particularly with women.

I think we are confusing CHANGE with QUALITY. Change is quickly detected although it may take a while to decide if the change is an improvement or a degradation. I agree that it takes years to properly evaluate a woman, but I can usually tell in a few seconds which one I want to approach.

I think people are under too much pressure to make a decision when confronted with A or B. Why should a change in your audio system be based on a decision made in 10 seconds or less?

Al et all, quick switching is used to determine if a difference is audible, not which of a or b you prefer.

Not understanding this fact is inexcusable as it is repeated countless times and makes most of these arguments moot.

Quick switching is used to determine if a difference is audible, not which of a or b you prefer.

see?:)

steve

Quick switching is used to determine if a difference is audible, not which of a or b you prefer.

If the difference is enough to be audible, why not stretch out the session and decide if it's worth investing in?.

Who cares what wins the A or B test. Does anyone listen that way?

I parted with a couple of powercords recently that I really liked. I didn't want to part with them, but it did free up some funds. Like Albert said, a quick A/B produced dramatic differences for me. The differences did not exactly diminish through long-term listening and analysis, but it allowed me time to be more sure of my decision that without the powercords my system still sounded pretty good. When I first bought the powercords, I felt that they were essential components to my system. But I stretched for an amp upgrade which improved the sound of my system. The powercords didn't exactly make a lesser difference in my upgraded system, but my system is now more listenable so I can more easily be without it. So at this point, I felt that the differences made by the powercords were not worth the cost as my system now sounds pretty good without them, but if I was to win the lottery, the powercords would definitely be worth it. Different situations warrant different decisions that's all.