Double-blind evaluation can identify the most transparent loudspeakers

Evidence

Some engineers say they must “like” the monitor loudspeaker. It is fundamentally important to like what is heard, but is it the loudspeaker or the program? Obviously, it is the combination. The program is the art that is being created for distribution to the world. Loudspeakers are technical devices that transduce electrical signals into sound. We know how to measure them. It is possible to identify loudspeakers that are the most transparent transducers of the electrical signals—as subjectively judged in double-blind evaluations. This was not always possible, and not all manufacturers are yet ready to reveal this kind of data. Independent sources exist, fortunately. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 139

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines ‘transparent transducer’ as the goal measurable through double-blind evaluation, contrasting with mere liking.
• XREF: Connects to the book’s core thesis that subjective preference and technical measurement converge under blind listening conditions. — connects to: Speaker cables and devices show near-zero audible differences in blind tests; Blind listener tests reliably favor the most neutral loudspeakers — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1958; Blind testing found 20% preferred synthesized phantom surround over real speakers
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 139