Quote:
Originally Posted by manysounds  As we all know, the comparison test was flawed and too dang narrow to test anything except, "Which do you like better". |
The test was not flawed. In fact it was conducted very well. However, to get the most out of the test one must also conduct the listening portion of the test blindly and systematically, something that is easily done but which few people chose to do. I agree one must interpret the results narrowly within the constraints of the test, but this is not a "flaw." So what can the test tell us?:
1) Question #1 - Is there an audible difference between the stock and modded units? Answer - Yes. I used Foobar to compare each pair of clips 10 or more times each and it showed the odds I was guessing was far less than 1% for the some (but not all) clips. Clearly there is an audible difference. For me, I found the difference to be fairly small.
2) Question #2 - Which do you prefer? Answer - It depends! This question is less meaningful as it is subject to personal preferences. I liked Y. Others liked X. I also like pears more than apples. This doesn't mean much to anyone except me.
3) Question #3 - Which is more accurate? Answer - We can't know for sure. If we trust the ears of those in the room we can accept their interpretation. If we don't, we can't.
Sure there are other ways to compare converters, but that doesn't make this test flawed. Some of the interpretation and rhetoric surrounding this test, on the other hand, has been very flawed.