I see the issue with ABX blind testing

@deep_333 Good to hear you only use material you're intimately familiar with.  Most other ABXers I've encountered on this site, online and in mags don't feel that way.  

I, too, primarily use music I know inside and out from repeated listening when swapping cables, listening for the cues I know to exist. Only on unfamiliar or casually listened to music can I be tempted to like something when trying out some of my lessor cables. I'll leave them in for a while only to have that sense of missing something and swap back in my references cables and presto, change-o, everything is right with the world. What I viewed as romantic and full was smeared and undefined. 

For me, the patently obvious changes are not to be dismissed, discarded, or passed off as some fancy of my imagination. Yes, all is well in the world. 

All the best,
Nonoise

So, someone needs to achieve a 92% rate of success in your test before you consider it a pass? 

You're a hard grader.  People are bombed based on "Confident" as there's no way to be absolutely certain unless you can see the person you want to bomb. 

By the way, Paul McGowan went through something similar when a friend came over and asked him if he could hear a difference, not knowing what was being changed and when it actually was changed, he was correct in all of his assessments. His friend was swapping out a fuse away from Paul as he sat and he couldn't see what was going on, let alone what his friend was doing. 

That really pissed off the measurement crowd. So much for parlor tricks.

All the best,
Nonoise

There are rigorous classes for Somms as well and most just can't cut it. With wine I've learned a few things but could never reach the heights of perception as my Somm friends no matter how much I try. 

One could memorize all the different cues on those wheels and still not be able to match them to what one's tasting on a consistent basis.  There's way too many factors at play. I've even seen Somms blow it on blind tastings while I got it right (only on two occasions).  Everyone does. What I taste is rarely what others do and vice versa. Sure, there's overlap in some broad areas but the nuances are always different. 

Here's a study on single malts and blends that the author disputes but the comments section leaves open the possibility that most simply cannot tell the difference between the two unless they know beforehand what they're drinking, like the study concluded. Not everyone can do it.

All the best,
Nonoise

Why apologize for your beliefs? No one who knows better will take issue with your hubristic statement. Been there too many times to count. This is old news. They'll just move on, making improvements in their systems by using that which has served them so well all this time: their ears.

As for Somms, have you ever met one and did a fair amount of wine tasting with them? If so, you'd find your analogy a faulty construct. Their ability to discern is inherent in their DNA, like all of our senses. Some are "wired" for it, others not so much, with lots of grey area between the two. Out of a couple thousand DNA combinations, around 300 make up an individuals tasting abilities, making it almost (if not just like) fingerprints: no two are alike.

Same goes for ones hearing, eyesight, sense of smell, and touch. I've seen someone reading font of this size (about 15 for my purposes) from a chart a good 12 feet away, easily (he had 15/20 vision and was testing his son who was the same while bored in the DMV). Why would one think all hearing is alike and begrudge others who just have better hearing capabilities? That is ego.

All the best,
Nonoise