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What do we hear when we change the direction of a wire?

Douglas Self wrote a devastating article about audio anomalies back in 1988. With all the necessary knowledge and measuring tools, he did not detect any supposedly audible changes in the electrical signal. Self and his colleagues were sure that they had proved the absence of anomalies in audio, but over the past 30 years, audio anomalies have not disappeared anywhere, at the same time the authority of science in the field of audio has increasingly become questioned. It's hard to believe, but science still cannot clearly answer the question of what electricity is and what sound is! (see article by A.J.Essien).

For your information: to make sure that no potentially audible changes in the electrical signal occur when we apply any "audio magic" to our gear, no super equipment is needed. The smallest step-change in amplitude that can be detected by ear is about 0.3dB for a pure tone. In more realistic situations it is 0.5 to 1.0dB'". This is about a 10% change. (Harris J.D.). At medium volume, the voltage amplitude at the output of the amplifier is approximately 10 volts, which means that the smallest audible difference in sound will be noticeable when the output voltage changes to 1 volt. Such an error is impossible not to notice even using a conventional voltmeter, but Self and his colleagues performed much more accurate measurements, including ones made directly on the music signal using Baxandall subtraction technique - they found no error even at this highest level.

As a result, we are faced with an apparently unsolvable problem: those of us who do not hear the sound of wires, relying on the authority of scientists, claim that audio anomalies are BS. However, people who confidently perceive this component of sound are forced to make another, the only possible conclusion in this situation: the electrical and acoustic signals contain some additional signal(s) that are still unknown to science, and which we perceive with a certain sixth sense.

If there are no electrical changes in the signal, then there are no acoustic changes, respectively, hearing does not participate in the perception of anomalies. What other options can there be?

Regards.
anton_stepichev
clearthink
1,421 posts
 
dletch2For a portion of the population with the knowledge and experience we know (not think), know, that wire direction in this case will be inaudible. We also know that blind testing must be used. Not think. Know."

Yes I admire your absolute, unshakeable, steadfast belief, faith, and conviction you must feel secure, safe, and protected in a belief system that answers all questions, resolves all issues, and spare you from the risk, hazards, and unknowns of explorations, experimentation and learning but you will have to accept if not understand that others here have advanced beyond merely accepting, digesting, and embracing things we have only read. While admire your faith I do not envy the position it leaves you in.
anton_stepichev OP
150 posts
 
djones51
Unless the so call differences that are heard from the wire direction in his tube amp were done with a CONTROLLED BLIND LISTENING TEST then the result are WORTHLESS.

Well no, standard practice would be have a third party do the blind test before you come to a conclusion. Even if a third party did a blind test and heard a difference it still does not follow that the difference is due to unknown signals and a sixth sense. That isn't how science works.

The purpose of blind testing is to try and find truth without bias. It might not always succeed but it's a tool like any other. It doesn't have to be about selling things.

djones51, your colleague has already switched to a placebo, and you're still offering blind tests. They can't give the right answer, don't you understand the logic?


"Let me remind you that at the moment we have found out that when the wire is reversed, there are absolutely no changes in the electrical signal occur. Thus, according to the laws of conventional physics, these changes are not present in the acoustic signal and we can not hear them.

Next thing is all known subjective tests including blind tests are designed to detect audible differences in the acoustic signal, but we already know that these differences do not exist.

So what else can we prove with blind tests in our situation?"
dletch2
455 posts
 
djones51, your colleague has already switched to a placebo, and you're still offering blind tests. They can't give the right answer, don't you understand the logic?


We understand perfectly well, that you cannot get the answer you want. The answers you have been given are correct, they are just not the ones you want. Truth will set you free.

djones51
4,947 posts
 
Next thing is all known subjective tests including blind tests are designed to detect audible differences in the acoustic signal, but we already know that these differences do not exist

If they don't exist then I guess you have your answer. 
anton_stepichev OP
150 posts
 
djones51
Next thing is all known subjective tests including blind tests are designed to detect audible differences in the acoustic signal, but we already know that these differences do not exist
If they don't exist then I guess you have your answer.

I wouldn't ask if I have the answer. Do you find a mistake in my logic?

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