ark@rabbit.UUCP (Andrew Koenig) (04/13/84)
I would like two or three 'golden ears' to volunteer for an experiment. The terms are as follows: I will mail you three little 'black boxes.' They won't be painted black, but they will be sealed, and the first condition of volunteering is that you must agree not to open them or attempt in any way to measure what is inside. Each box will have two input jacks, two output jacks, and a switch. These boxes are intended to be connected between your preamp and your power amp. Don't worry, nothing in the boxes is capable of damaging any part of your system, even if the box malfunctions. The experiment is for each volunteer to listen carefully to the effect that each box has on the sound with each switch setting. I am much more interested in comparing the two settings of the switch in each box than I am in comparing one box with another. You may make the comparisons in any way you see fit. You may invite your friends over to listen if you like, and you may spend as much time as you like, so long as you don't hold on to the boxes too long before sending them to the next volunteer. This is the second condition of volunteering: you must send the boxes to the next person within one week of receiving them. This is to make sure the test doesn't drag out too long. The test will be double-blind for the following reason: I will not label the boxes or the switch settings in any way before I mail them out. The first volunteer will be expected to number the boxes #1, #2, #3 in some order, and the switch settings A and B in some order. The third condition of volunteering is that you must agree to mail me as detailed a description as possible of what you heard as soon as possible after completing your tests, and that you not post any comments on the experiment until I have posted the final results. This is so that you do not bias any volunteers who will be getting the boxes after you. Once I have gotten the boxes back, I will break them open and match contents with labels. I will then post the volunteers' comments, and match what they heard with what the particular box and switch setting was doing. To volunteer, send me mail at research!ark (you can mail to rabbit!ark too, but it is forwarded to research!ark) with: Your name The address to which you want the boxes sent Your home phone number A description of your stereo system Your present thoughts on how you plan to conduct your listening tests. I will foot the bill for postage to the first volunteer, and each volunteer must agree to pay postage to the next one. The final volunteer gets to send the boxes back to me. I particularly invite the participation of Phil Rastocny, who seems to be able to distinguish differences too subtle for most of us.
pmr@drutx.UUCP (04/19/84)
Sounds exciting. Count me in.