Science versus perception, who cares!
Author:  Shane Mattson

Why does science conflict with perceived reality?  Because in science if it can’t be measured it can't possibly exist!  Perceived reality is what creates excitement amongst audio/video enthusiasts.  Yes, science is primarily responsible for what we see and hear however the magic occurs when the unexplained has a positive affect on the event.

How many times have you come across the so called ‘experts’ on the Internet claiming speaker cables do not make a sonic difference?  They point out several measurable parameters that factor into the performance of a cable like capacitance, resistance and inductance however when it comes to innovative technologies (otherwise known as voodoo, snake oil etc..) they completely dismiss the idea that these foreign technologies could quite possibly make a sonic difference.  Why do these engineer types (i.e. experts) really care?  I mean really….what is the big deal?  Do they feel like everything they’ve studied for years about electrical principle and design is in question if unconventional designs really do have a positive affect on the reproduction of sound?  Do they feel personally violated by all of this so called voodoo out there?  The ongoing debate about whether or not cables, amplifiers, digital components etc make a difference is getting out of hand.  Oh wait, I forgot to add ABX testing to the list. 

Perceived reality; not to be confused with the placebo affect, is what each of us experiences when evaluating a piece of equipment.  Due to the variable that we all hear and perceive sound differently, how can one person look at another and say: “You couldn’t have heard it that way!”.  Yes, that person making the statement may be a so-called trained listener (someone capable of discerning good/bad sonic characteristics), however who’s to say the other listener is wrong?  The other listener may be responding emotionally different to the music.  Here's a thought: does ones emotional response skew the results of ABX tests?  Having been active in high-end audio/video for 15 years and have studied piano and saxophone throughout most of my lifetime I’ve always claimed to be a good listener, but what I hear and what you hear may differ and neither one of us are wrong with our perceptions.  Even if someone has an electrical engineering background and is adamant (based on scientific knowledge) that the new power cable just installed will not make a sonic difference, who’s to say a difference can't be heard?  If we believe something to be true based on our perceptions (in reference to audio, not politics ), why are there those who spend so much time and energy trying to prove us wrong?  Doesn't all this fuss around who's right and who's wrong take the fun out of this wonderful hobby?

Comments?  Please drop me an email!

Happy Listening!

Shane Mattson
shane@soundreproduction.com