>> expectation bias That particular phrase strikes me as far too limiting. It suggests such influences are easy to spot based on preferences we know we already have.
It can be difficult to catalog subjective influences as many take place at a subliminal or unconscious level. One study I read some months ago showed how experienced referees could be influenced by the color of jerseys worn by contestants in a sports contest with scoring points assigned by the ref. When jersey colors were digitally switched in the playback video, the high score switched to other contestant who now had the red jersey. The subject is further complicated as some subconscious influences - such as subtly associating a red jersey with a better athletic performance in an evenly matched contest - seem to be widely shared by humans. Other influences are going to diverge widely based on characteristics unique to each individual. The problem is that the full fledged subjectivists somehow fancy themselves superhuman in their control of hearing perception. Our bias mechanisms, whether blantant or subliminal, do not suddenly disappear because the subject is audio. However, I firmly believe people should buy what they like, no matter what the real underlying reasons. I just wish they could simply state "this is what I like" without the need for inventing fanciful pseudo-scientific justifications for their preferences and/or the pretense of superiority. -- mlsstl ------------------------------------------------------------------------ mlsstl's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=9598 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=81616 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
