Quote Originally Posted by Ajani
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I read an article recently (which I hope to locate and post soon) that addressed reasons/misconceptions why audiophiles are opposed to blind testing:

1) The idea that blind testing shows that all amps sound the same - it does not... If you read articles from mags like The Audio Critic, you'll see these claims... but you'll also see some serious disclaimers as well: Amps must be level matched (OK, that's fine). Amps must perform within their power limit (so speakers must be sensitive enough to suit both the flea watt and mega watt amps - which is not the case in all hifi setups, but is fairly reasonable for the purpose of the test). Amps must have the same technical measurements (Say what? That one is the kicker for me, since once you read enough review measurements, you realize that most amps don't measure the same). ....
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There as the classic amplfier DBT performed by David Clark and reported by Ian Masters in Stereo Review in 1987. The title was, "Do All Amplifiers Sound the Same?".

And the the usual conclusion attributed to the article is that they do. And yet when you read the article in full it was clear that at least some participants could -- in fact -- reliably distinguish difference between at least some of the ampliers.