Untrained listeners in method-of-adjustment tests prefer the boosted “happy face” spectrum.

Evidence

Figure 12.17 shows the result of evaluations by a mixture of trained and untrained listeners. The four untrained listeners simply choose “more of everything”, adding slightly to the already boosted treble and adding a substantial bass boost. This is the “happy face” spectrum that has a long history in audio. This is very interesting, because in multiple-comparison double-blind subjective evaluations most listeners recognize and reject resonant colorations, preferring basically neutral loudspeakers. Inexperienced listeners exhibit more variation in their judgments, but their average ratings have been more similar to trained listeners than this result suggests. What was different here? — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1355

Categorization

• QUESTION: The open question — why do untrained listeners over-boost in method-of-adjustment yet rate neutral speakers higher in blind comparisons? — points to the difference between preference-with-controls and preference-for-sound.
• XREF: Connects to the contrast between free choice in adjustment tasks (readily revealed preferences) and blind A/B rankings — echoes findings elsewhere in preference psychology about expressed vs. revealed choice.