I said


The copy you sent me of "The great Chicago Cable Caper" doesn't really
address
the issue of the audibility of amplifiers. I mistakenly identified "can you
trust your Ears" with "To tweak or not to Tweak". "Can you trust your ears
contains no raw data.

Tom said


Sure it does. You seem to want a subject by subject table. Why? It's all
enumerative data about Prefer A, Prefer B or No or Preference. I understand
your need to reject the data that subjects will gladly express a Preference
for
one of two identical sound alternatives 3/4 of the time. Live with that.


I just reviewed it again and found absolutely no raw data. in fact I found no
data at all. It does say the following "There wereno records kept" which looks
like the truth. Is my copy incomplete?

Tom said


None of the raw data suggests that.


I said


Sure it does unless you consider a 94% probaility that a difference was
heard
to to suggest that no difference was heard.


Tom said


That's the typical amp-difference response. Sift through the data and select
individual parts that seem to support one's position EVEN when they don't.


Funny, it wasn't my response in general it was simply my response if you insist
that the data be considered conclusive. I don't consider it conclusive and I
don't think it proved that soem or one individual could hear a difference. I
certainly don't think it proved the opposite.

Tom said


How about the below 50% data? You gonna overlook that? You can't have it both
ways.

No I didn't overlook that. I don't want to have it both ways. that is why i
find the results inconclusive along with a few other reasons that i have
already stated.

Tom said

At most, such examination (I do it too) might suggest further
experimentation but it doesn't 'suggest' that some amplifiers were heard.





Which is pretty much what I said. But, as I said, if you are to insist that the
data is conclusive one would have to conclude the Counterpoint and the NAD
sounded different and that there is a reasonable possibilty that one of the
listeners was reliably hearing differences. The data certainly suggests that
the Counterpoint and the NAD sounded different with 94% confidence. While the
evidence suggests this it certainly doesn't prove it. But you said that no
tests *suggest* this. Given one of the two articles that had raw data did
suggest the very thing you say it does not I would be more curious to see the
raw data on the 3 dozen or so other tests you have mentioned rather than see
anyone's analysis of them. Aside from the statistical analysis which saves me a
lot of work that I find difficult.