Chung asked:-

Blind or sighted?

Answer:-

Blind in the sense, they couldn't see which player was playing. They
couldn't see my hand movements while I am switching the input switch on my
preAmp.

One extremely important point: you have to carefully match the playback
levels. To 0.1 dB (within 1%). Your results are meaningless if the
levels are not matched.

No, it was not level matched to 0.1%. No level matching at all. Every track
was played to the volume which the listener comfortable with which perceived
loudness to be more or less the same.

To Don and Nousaine suggestion and questions:-

Three players connected to one Classe Pre Amp with three inputs, using 3
sets of Monster Cable (0.5m) RCA interconnect. The regularly used cables
were assigned to the cheapest player (A). I do not want someone to raise
cable break in issue, later. The other Players were connected using to the
other inputs, i.e 1, 2 and 3. (actually it was CD, tuner, aux). No power
conditioner was used for the players.

Due the availabilty of only two isolation platforms only two Players were
tested simultaneously. I thought it wouldn't be fair using Player C because
it was placed on the floor while the others were on 4 granite sandwiching
airfilled rubber and further suspended on vibrapods. No cones or other feet
used between players and granite.

The four subjects are all firm believers of megabucks cables, greenpen and
many others, unlike me.

Only one person was tested at single session, the others were there but
they were not occupying the sweet spot. (Maybe I should change this
procedure in the future.)

We used their favourite test CD. For an example, Patricia Barbers, Cafe Blue
( or was it Companion?) track 7 (black magic women at about 5 minutes into
the song). Two similar CD played simultaneously, one with a delay of about
ten seconds ( it ranged between 10 to 20 seconds). If they want to listen
their most familiar part of a track, that track will be played for about 10
seconds and then I would switch to the second player which will be more or
less start from the earlier point due to the 10-20 seconds delay. Volume
were then gradually increased to the same level as previously.


Important point to note:-

They cannot tell which sound is perfect at anytime. Only when two players
used they were able to identify Player B sounded superior. Even, I was not
able to tell which player was playing until I heard the second one to decide
which sounded better.

Nobody here is claiming that by listening, they could tell it was player A
or B. Only when two players compared within 10 or 20 seconds, we could
distinguish one to be better than the other.

I have not told them which player is A or B. We all agreed we need to
conduct more "tests" to satisfy our curiousity.

Regards.

p.s Post missing