Quote Originally Posted by Woochifer

As far as I know, the NRC's initial findings were based on a statistically significant sample, and they've kept conducting listening tests since then, which just adds to the sample size. So, I don't know why you keep bringing up these "small poll" arguments. Your objections about how to identify causal factors are easy to verify using any number of statistical methodologies that identify and rank causal variables. I don't know what statistical methodology the NRC used, but I've used cluster analysis in social research that included at least 100 quantifiable variables. Not that hard to deploy that kind of methodology to a listening test where the speakers were consistently measured and evaluated based on several variables.

Your argument about long-term listening is valid to a point. But, keep in mind that in Floyd Toole's listening tests, the listener controls the duration of the sound playback and which speaker they hear (but they can't see the speaker, so it eliminates one source of bias). It's not some researcher going back and forth at random with a DBX unit. The whole point of the research is not identify what speakers people would take home, it's to identify the causal factors that lead people to prefer one unit over another. You seem fixated on brand identification. The research is useful to speaker designers, because no one can make a perfect speaker, so research can help them prioritize the design parameters. You seem to believe that research has made speaker audio quality decline, and I beg to differ especially comparing today's affordable speakers with what was available 20 years ago.
It is useful to speaker designers also for something to tout as a marketing tool. Bose certainly didn't ned good speakers to sell more than anyone else. Perhaps this is an attempt to sell more...but then if that were the case their speakers in real world applications would be doing it. And I don't see the result.

Long term tesing has nothing to do with a person sititng in a chair who gets to decide that he wants to listen for 8 minutes instead of 30 seconds.

Causal factors are fine...and once again within their study - which is not the same outside it take what you will.

Hi Fi Choice does not have a reference system...UHF does. Now if they're refernce is a poor one they could be introuble...but if there is a difference in cd players and amplifiers if you don't have a reference system then you have no idea what is causing the sound. With a reference you can add the new amp and see what happens. Of course none of this tells you if you'd like their reference. Hi Fi CHoice has tools for measuring...Hi Fi Choice and Stereophile suggest that the Audio Note AN E was a tool for measuring amplifiers cd players etc. Which makes me beg the question...if Peter Snell made such an accurate design in the 70s, why do we need Floyd Toole trying to make accurate speakers...Sounds like it was already done 30 years ago. Marketing??