"Steven Sullivan" wrote in message


Ever hear of a phantom switch experience?

I'm sure that you've heard about the one that Nousaine
orchestrated at a SMWTMS meeting.

In it, the listener is led to believe there are two
devices
or settings, A and B. He describes sonic difference
between them.
But in fact, A and B are the very same device or setting.

Nousaine contrived to get the host's I think it was
Krell-based system replaced with a small Pioneer receiver.

You would claim that no, really, they *were* different,
because
the listener *heard* them as different.

The proudly host showed-off his *Krell* system.

Is that rational, or is that...well, *crazy*?

Good thing the host was a good guy, or Nousaine might be
severely attenuated.

Not everything is just a 'difference of opinion'. Planes
don't fly , computers don't crunch data, audio gear
doesn;t
emit sound, simply because the 'opinions' of the designers
turned out to be *lucky guesses*.

Agreed. Things like the Space Shuttle and farily reliable
cures for once-fatal cancers are in some sense the "ultimate
truth".

Useful stuff like Flash USB storage doesn't work because of
favorable reviewer opinions.