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Power Cord Challenge

I've got a couple of weeks off before starting a new job. As I clearly fall into the camp of those who suspect no purely audible differences exist (except in pathologic cases of too-small cords or RFI interference), here's a challenge:

If you live in the San Jose, CA area, let's get together and put this to the test. Your system, your choice of music, I supply a stock power cord to test against your exotic. We play both cords blind (identified as A and B) for a reasonable amout of time; I then play one of the two (randomly chosen through a coin flip) for a reasonable amount of time and you identify it as either A or B. We'll do 10 trials for some statistical significance.

Given that some claim drastic and easily heard differences ("blacker background", "music is more alive", etc., etc., etc.), it should be trivial to get right and shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes per trial. The kicker: you get 9 or 10 right and I'll give you $500! The downside: 8 or less correct and you donate $250 to the Red Cross. Hey, I'm even giving you 2 for 1 odds!

Regardless of the outcome, we post the results to this site. Any takers?

Cheers,
JHunter
jhunter
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,366 posts
 
OOps: Forgot that Bruce is also using the Neuance and may be using the 47 Labs cable as well. Anyway, we have a lot of art and old plastic souviner snowdomes to look at.
massvm
126 posts
 
Jhunter, I hope you are able to pull off this "PC Challenge". Sounds like it may be fun no matter what the outcome.

You state that you are from the "BAD" camp, in that you don't suspect that there should be an audible difference between stock (or what have you) PCs and aftermarket "exotics," but have you ever listened to any? Your writing implies that you haven't given one a test drive. I find it interesting that you would put up $500 in cold, hard cash for a 2 for 1 offer (which given 0 return to you, and the tax write-off to the loser if you are right isn't really accurate either) if you hadn't tried one of those "exotics." The same applies to Stevemj who is willing to up the ante to 4 to 1; have you ever tried one? 500 clams can buy an awfully nice PC on the used market.

Let the games begin!
tsquared
32 posts
 
JHunter,

Good point, but maybe one person could run back and forth really quickly switchin cords for the others (at least until he has too much ale). Peace,

Todd
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drubin
3,267 posts
 
My experience has always been that rapid switching obscures differences and should be avoided. For example, I can switch rapidly back and forth between the CD playback of my Sony 777 and the same playback using a Dodson outboard DAC. Hard to hear a difference. But if I pause and start the selection over again, the differences are quite obvious and repeatable. Perhaps I am violating rules of experimental design or psychoacoustics, but this has been my experience time and again over the many years,. Maybe this is a topic for a new thread.
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,366 posts
 
I have used rapid switching in audio shops with good results but since I do not have this feature at home (nor would I want it) I just use "key" notes and pieces of music. When I went to Kublakan's AR/BAT audition in late April we used the finger snaps on a cut that I brought along ("Duke of Earl" by Last Forever) which clearly sounded different on the various preamps auditioned. The rest of the music did as well, but this was a small thing that we could all focus and communicate effectively on. Since the testing requested for the PC shootout is based on simple yes/no information, something such as this should work fine. If we have a get together at my place the cords can be tested as they normally would in regard to how they effect the music on a whole. After all this is the main objective of most of us here. I promise not to play Johnny Rivers.
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