Conspiracy theory ....

[KiranPS]

This is my Conspiracy theory about why speaker companies and HiFi magazines don't use Blind people for
testing. I've heard that Blind people have a much better sense of hearing than people with sight.
Since they don't have sight ,a much bigger part of their brain is dedicated to hearing compared to people with sight (3%).

According to the following article,
Discover Magazine: The latest in science and technology news, blogs and articles - The Vision Thing: Mainly in the Brain

"In the brain itself, neurons devoted to visual processing number in the hundreds of millions and
take up about 30 percent of the cortex, as compared with 8 percent for touch
and just 3 percent for hearing."

So why are bind people not used for testing and validating speakers ? I bet it is because we use our sense of sight a lot more to cloud our judgement about how good or bad something is. For example there are a lot of food items we would never touch just because they look gross even though they might
taste great. I guess the same rules apply to speaker sound quality to speaker build finishes and size. A blind persons judgment about the performance of a speaker would be clear and deal only with the sound quality and have nothing with whether the speakers uses beryllium tweeter or have mirror piano finish.

If the HiFi magazines start using blind people the the real truth might come out about how a speaker really sounds.

What do you guys think ?

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

First, I think there is a mistaken premise that blind people hear better. This is the piano tuner myth: Is the guy really good at tuning pianos because he's blind ...or because he's spent a lifetime tuning pianos?

Just for one short paragraph, I'm going to get a touch political . I have never liked the term "differently-abled." I don't find it accurate, correct, or even respectful. The fact that my hearing is slowly failing does not mean that I can see, sing, or run any better. As a person that lives with this disability, what I want is recognition of the disability: I do not want people making themselves feel better about it by pretending that I must have some "different ability" that, in some way, makes up for it.

Hey, I don't know if that rant was anywhere near on-topic --- or just made me feel better, so lets quickly move on...

A blind persons judgment about the performance of a speaker would be clear and deal only with the sound quality and have nothing with whether the speakers uses beryllium tweeter or have mirror piano finish.

Second... blind-person testing? Or blind testing.

Blind testing, I am sure many of them do, whether the marketing department lets on or not .

Although... here's one man's story of blind testing in a really big audio company: The Dishonesty of Sighted Listening Tests

Last, I'll have a go at a straight answer to your question: Speaker manufacturers do not employ blind people to test speakers because they are not a major part of the market that buys buys them

And, actually, there are not that many blind people in the world.

 

[gobble]

Good points by Thad. But I believe the blind train themselves to hear better because it is a matter of survival ever living moment.

I don't want to blindly subscribe to this conspiracy theory but you gotta hear that persistent inner voice in my head ... its compelling me to. Now try telling me I don't hear those voices in my head as well as others do just because I am blind to reason... hyeah:

Long time since I heard a conspiracy theory I wanted to believe in .. Thank you Kiran! :cheers:

--G0bble

 

[ranjeetrain]

Umm, I wouldn't subscribe to the theory just because the testing is not done by blind people. But I do hold the importance of 'blind testing' in high esteem. In fact, anytime I buy a new equipment sounds better, I step back a step immediately and ask myself, "would I still hear this difference if I didn't know I was listening to a new component?". I.e. I keep challenging myself and my conclusions as to whether I will be able to pick a component in a blind test.

Oh btw, don't know about others, but with my eyes shut, I can definitely pick the minute subtleties of sound much better. I often find myself closing eyes when I am focusing hard on the sound (usually while testing some thing new I bought or during intense auditions).

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Good points by Thad. But I believe the blind train themselves to hear better because it is a matter of survival ever living moment.

I think you are probably right there. There are disabilities where people are given little choice but to be "differently" abled just to be able to function at all. My rant was only a part of the picture. And while I think that a musician I know, who cannot use his legs, might not disagree with what I said, his view of the matter would be very different from that of a guy who just has some hearing loss.

 

[mpw]

thad,

always enjoyed reading your posts for their content and i am glad you are part of this forum..

Cheers !!

My view echoes Thads completely.. and ranjeets too.. when i enjoy music i close my eyes and start a small involuntary smile ( ever noticed this denom ?? ) ..

thats all the testing i need to know..

There is no conspiracy because purchasing a product involves more than hearing it ( although it may be a music making / reproducing device ) .. it must have a good form factor.. it must have features.. it must look good where it is going to be placed..

regards,
mpw
=======================================================

First, I think there is a mistaken premise that blind people hear better. This is the piano tuner myth: Is the guy really good at tuning pianos because he's blind ...or because he's spent a lifetime tuning pianos?

Just for one short paragraph, I'm going to get a touch political . I have never liked the term "differently-abled." I don't find it accurate, correct, or even respectful. The fact that my hearing is slowly failing does not mean that I can see, sing, or run any better. As a person that lives with this disability, what I want is recognition of the disability: I do not want people making themselves feel better about it by pretending that I must have some "different ability" that, in some way, makes up for it.

Hey, I don't know if that rant was anywhere near on-topic --- or just made me feel better, so lets quickly move on...

Second... blind-person testing? Or blind testing.

Blind testing, I am sure many of them do, whether the marketing department lets on or not .

Although... here's one man's story of blind testing in a really big audio company: The Dishonesty of Sighted Listening Tests

Last, I'll have a go at a straight answer to your question: Speaker manufacturers do not employ blind people to test speakers because they are not a major part of the market that buys buys them

And, actually, there are not that many blind people in the world.

 

[ruiomichlet]

Just for one short paragraph, I'm going to get a touch political

 

[gobble]

Long time since I heard a conspiracy theory I wanted to believe in .. Thank you Kiran! :cheers:

--G0bble

And oh ... that reminds me ... when I actually want to buy speakers I would only trust my own ears not the blind mans .... I still have some faith in this conspiracy theory albeit a little watered down by my own self-interests.

-G

 

[Sumanta]

I can not get proper 3D feel of the soundscape when I close my eyes.

I even fail to pinpoint location of a singer if I close my eyes.

 

[keith_correa]

First, I think there is a mistaken premise that blind people hear better..

They may not hear better but other senses get heightened. Now this is a fact.
Not fully applicable to the matter at hand but - case in point - me.
Although I'm not blind, my left ear is experiencing slightly lesser hearing than my right ear due to a previous ear infection. I'm getting treated for this BUT, for the past few weeks, I can hear things clearer. Obviously, not from my left ear but from the one that is normal. The doctor says that it may be my bodys way of compensating. Maybe. Only a "before" and "after" test can determine if it is true. And unfortunately, I've lost the results of the audiometry test that was conducted "before". But I know what I hear

Last, I'll have a go at a straight answer to your question: Speaker manufacturers do not employ blind people to test speakers because they are not a major part of the market that buys buys them

And how does anybody know that?

And, actually, there are not that many blind people in the world:

Hardly matters. How many loudspeaker designers do you think there are in the world?

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Interesting experience, Keith. Over the years, my right and left ears alternate as to which is worse: I've no idea how much of this is down to one ear getting worse or the other compensating.

With respect, you might, or might not, know what you can hear. With the temporary effect of something like an infection, yes, I'm sure you do, just as I can tell the effect of a build-up of wax that quite suddenly blocks the ear canal. With a slowly-changing condition, though, things are not so clear. I honestly did not know what I was hearing (or rather what I was not hearing) until the last audiogram made me play with an equaliser --- and it was bad news.

How many loudspeaker designers do you think there are in the world?

Isn't it the size of the market, not the number of of designers or manufacturers that counts? Anyway, even if there are only a handful of design gurus, there are dozens of manufacturers, large and small, either employing or copying those designers, and each must be adding/changing flavours/subtleties.

Of course, if they (or one of our DIYers) listens to the speaker they built and say, "Perfect!" then what do they need testers for? Testing is for comparison. Testing is for saying, "No, it isn't just the fancy woodwork, the varnish and the name plate: it really does sound better." Especially when the claim is that it sounds better than another model, or something else on the market.

 

[lovesmusic]

This is my Conspiracy theory about why speaker companies and HiFi magazines don't use Blind people for
testing. I've heard that Blind people have a much better sense of hearing than people with sight.
Since they don't have sight ,a much bigger part of their brain is dedicated to hearing compared to people with sight (3%).

One way we can remove the bias is by blind testing, lets not see the equipment / brand and rate the sound quality. Then decide what to buy. I was recently surprised by the local amp of 35W per channel with BS speakers, beating in clarity much higher priced branded amp and speakers. BUT then just my "ears" there are more refined "ears" out there who are much better judges of the equipment. I am just a newbie in this field.

 

[sound1]

So why are bind people not used for testing and validating speakers ?

Because we don't want them to get tinnitus. Ear is their most important working sensory organ.

 

[KiranPS]

hyeah:hyeah:hyeah:

 

[square_wave]

Loudspeakers are the biggest game changers in the music system. You do not need blind people to validate differences. The differences are obvious.

For digtal and amplification devices, it is a good idea to use blind folks (who are trained to listen) to validate differences.

Testing methods ( Blind or otherwise ), there are various ways to do it. The usual method of testing with random short samples of music using switches and such crap not sure if most sensible audiophiles will agree to. The alternative methods - sensible folks will agree to provided they have the time and energy.