Michael Scarpitti wrote:
Stewart Pinkerton wrote in message news:vOr_b.387604$na.593417@attbi_s04...

purchase equipment only from companies that use DBTs in their design process?

No, because all cables sound the same, and all competent amps sound
the same.

Tautological:

If amps sound different, at least one is not 'competent'.

Given that no amp is perfect, there are NECESSARILY differences, as no
amp can be perfectly competent.

Now you introduce the concept of "perfect" in audio amps. How would you
define perfect?

Among engineers, there is a popular saying that "good enough is
perfect". If you take that position, then there are clearly amps that
are perfect.

On the other hand, if you define a perfect amp as one with no
measureable errors, then no amp is perfect. But an amp does not have to
be perfect to be competent. To me, a competent amp is one whose errors
are below thresholds of audibility.

I have heard obvious differences
between power amps. It is not even remotely possible for me to be
mistaken...

Is it remotely possible that some of these amps are incompetent?

Have you ever heard amps that sound the same, under level-matched,
bias-controlled conditions?


Occam's principle is that the simplest explanation is the likeliest
explanation:

People who claim that they can hear differences in sound among amps
and cables sound different because they are hearing differences that
are real...

Given that so many people detect positive differences listening to the
same amp or the same cable under sighted conditions, your explanation is
too simple, and too unlikely.


THTAT is a simpler explanation than anything else...


That is a possible explanation, but when it comes to cables, an
improbable one.

Look at it a different way. Measurements show that two cables produce
the same response at the speaker terminals. People report hearing
differences sighted. Occam's razor will say that those people are
affected by sighted bias. That is the most likely explanation. And the
simplest one.