Listener fatigue objections can be answered by self-paced switch testing

Evidence

Additional criticisms from subjectivists had to do with notions that the sound samples might be too short for critical analysis, and that a time limit can be stressful. The automated positional substitution apparatus at Harman permitted tests for single listeners, who could participate in a test when it was convenient. In these tests, the listener selects which of the three or four unidentified loudspeakers is to be heard at any time, and there is no time limit—switch at will, and take as long as is needed. The musical excerpts are short but repeated in nicely segued loops to allow for detailed examination. Stressful? It is true that the musical pleasure is lost, but the power of the test is increased, and the duration reduced. We are not enjoying the music or doing record reviews; we are evaluating loudspeakers. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1090

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader methodology question of how controlled listening tests trade ecological validity (musical pleasure) for discriminative power — parallels double-blind test design tradeoffs discussed in psychology of experiment design.