It’s not really a conundrum, if you want to have a blind test then have one, if you trust your ears, trust your ears. Whatever allows you to decide an item gives a benefit is all that matters. The only time it’s an issue is when anyone tries to force their view on everyone else. If my brain cons me into thinking something sounds better I’m fine with that too
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It’s a conundrum if all available test variants are flawed.
Some people just have a technical interest as well, nothing wrong with that, and without this kind of people being in the world, the gear wouldn’t even exist
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I never said that my anlysis is definitively true, but to the best of my knowledge of electronic theory it is. I may not however, have sufficient knowledge to rule out other effects that they haven’t disclosed. In which case the description given is not in fact correct as the description given doesn’t in fact describe how they actually operate, as that is due to the undisclosed effects not the disclosed mechanism.
I was very careful to include my own limitations!
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I don’t do blingy mechanicals! 
(Unless 3D printed!)
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In that case…I’m oot!
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So has anyone else actually tried them?
Yes:
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If one needs to ‘blind test’ then i’ll kindly suggest to go to Spec-Savers first.
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I’ve borrowed a few to try, potentially the wrong ones .
Stuck one in the front USB socket of the Nova - ‘what’s that?’ asked Mrs AC, ‘oh just some cheapo USB stick’ I replied. 
Then a real senior moment when I tried to plug the USB one into the back of an Apple router (which has USB for a drive/printer) but it wasn’t having it and didn’t fit - unfortunately realised I was trying to insert it into an ethernet port 
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I’d say it was quite fortunate that you realised in time 
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Absolutely, I kept flipping it 180 degrees thinking I had it upside down for the USB port - fortunately the connector was only getting into the plastic case recess as wide enough, not actually into the ethernet socket.
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The odd thing here is that I’d expect these devices to work instantly if they did anything, so into the USB socket of a Nova I couldn’t really detect a change. Later with one in USB on Nova, and an ethernet one on the router the sound was actually very good, but is that an effect ‘growing over time’, luck or less noise on the domestic supply? I really have no idea.
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Well 2 of those units are about 10% of the retail price of a Nova, so…
Yep
At the risk of getting dragged into some debate that my results are invalid because I didn’t blind test them I can confirm that I’ve listened to most of the Chord array options on my pre-amp, DAC and streamer. I can also confirm that in all instances there was a noticeable (albeit subtle) change to the way music was presented.
In my system, and to my ears I thought the effect was mildly detrimental to timing and some midrange warmth. The sound just s seemed to thin slightly and lose some of its realism. I thought the effect very similar to playing with the ground isolating switch on Naim kit when it’s set in the wrong position.
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…and? … (apologies if I missed an earlier post)
That’s taking blind listening tests a bit to far.
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What a brilliant thread. If all the posters had charged their normal going rate. I suspect it would have cost quite a lot. And nobody is any the wiser.
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Hmm, if there is an agenda to it, then surely it is trying to find the neutral truth of something: to help people who don’t want to be tricked by their own subconscious into spending money unnecessarily through the tricks of sales tactics. Is that against AUP? (Those who don’t mind the risk of course are free to do what they like.)
I agree that strictly controlled blind testing in the form necessary for much more serious things like medicine is not justified for what after all is just a hobby, and indeed would be a practical impossibility. However there are a number of approaches to seeking to minimise the risk of psychological influences affecting subjective assessment, one of which is simple blind testing easily done with a willing assistant.
Can I ask, Richard, if you saying that is is unacceptable to suggest this sort of approach as a tool in assessing the efficacy or value of products such as the subject of this thread?
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IB, all is just opinion here. It’s either worth it to you or it isn’t.
But just because someone reckons it is worthwhile to them doesn’t mean their opinion is worthless because they didn’t undergo some rigorous blind test in coming to that conclusion.
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