Who says cables don't make a difference?

If my fault that my OP comments about company owners and others who made/make their living on being able to hear differences between components helped to devolve this otherwise civil Forum discussion into personal mud slinging, I am sorry.
Surely most on the Forum can and have recognized and respected the wise words and posts of Ralph Karsten of Atma-Sphere. A true gentleman and voice of decades as a professional in Audio.
I don’t wish to draw Ralph into this checkered thread. Only wish to point out that there is a significant difference between us hobbyists and the professionals. Speaking generally, professionals in the Audio Industry must have an educated and highly refined “ear”. When I spoke of Audio professionals being flabbergasted by the performance of one particular IC over another, I only wanted to point out the general professional perspective on this subject.

roberttdid

Let me type this slowly so that it is totally clear. I have run many blind tests with other people as the listeners. If I have a bias it is meaningless as I was not the test subject.

You’ve just invalided every blind test that you have ever conducted. That’s because a properly designed and conducted blind test must also account for and negate the bias of the test designer and proctors.

For example, you’ve made it clear that you don’t think the differences between competent cables is audible. You’ve poisoned the well by conveying that to a test subject; you’ve given him a reason ("power of suggestion") to find no difference.

And this is emblematic of many who clamor for others to conduct blind tests. Not all blind tests are valid, and conducting a valid test is much more work than it might appear to the casual observer, both for the conductors of the test as well as for the subjects.

You just raised pedantic to a whole new level. I have done fully controlled double blind testing in research lab environments, and more simplistic single blind testing too many times to count .... which is one times more blind than I expect most people commenting on this thread have ever done.

It's hard to put bias into a test process that involves nothing more than swapping cables. Great thing about that is you rarely even need to level balance, and not level balancing would increase the detection threshold not reduce it.

I am not a "casual observer".

For example, you’ve made it clear that you don’t think the differences between competent cables is audible. You’ve poisoned the well by conveying that to a test subject; you’ve given him a reason ("power of suggestion") to find no difference.

This is wishful thinking. Remember what is being tested. What is being tested is that the person making the claim of (usually) a readily apparent audible difference is able to actually perceive in a blind situation the difference. No more. No less. Your "poisoning" actually does not fit typical psychological reactions. Normally when a persons beliefs are challenged, they will work extra hard to prove those beliefs, not fold like a wet blanket.

You can blindtest  some little change....You cannot blindtest total transformation because it is plain for anybody to see(hear)...It is no more  useful for anybody ....

Blindtest is there to validate (marketting practice) or invalidate (debunkers) some small variation like with a cable...

No one blindtest the acoustic of the same room before treatment and after it.,..

No one blindtest the electrical grid of a house before or after it is controlled...

No one blindtest the audio system before and after his many resonant parts are under controls, even if it is easier to perform than for the 2 others embeddings...

My point is many changes are so evident than blindtesting them has no interest, except for those who sell some product and those who debunk some product...

Cleeds, it wouldn’t matter what you say, he’s done it better. He’s obviously the only true expert. He’s another kenjit. In his world at least, his word is final. For the rest of us though, we could actually have a meaningful convo if he would stay away from a subject he’s made very clear about his bais towards and let stop trying to destroy ever thread on the subject as he has blatantly tried to do. No wonder an older account t he had was banned. Brings nothing of value to the discussion, only goal is to tear down others thoughts.