https://www.headphonesty.com/2026/03/blind-tests-reveal-only-one-upgrade-matters/
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If Speakers make a difference, I’d like to see blind tests on headphones and IEM’s
I guess they would be the same as speakers. Drivers design etc big variables
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Interesting. That makes sense to me
It mentions the blind amplifier tests that Stereophile conducted at their 1989 show in Santa Monica. I was one of the participants and was so excited to prove to myself that I did indeed have golden ears and would easily ace everything they could throw at me.
As it turned out, I only got 4 answers correct out of 7 attempts; Statistically, a coin flip. I ended up leaving there with my tail between my legs.
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The differences are bigger than I think anyone can identify in a) a room they don’t know b) speakers they don’t know c) material they don’t know… and probably others.
What we hear with time against our own reference in our own environment is worlds apart whatever we think we’re hearing in a simple a/b/x test from an unknown environment. In that environment I will tell you even before the test starts I’m guessing. But give me time in my own environment and I can reliably pinpoint difference once I’ve identified them clearly. It’s another reason audio shows are less about the listening and more about how the sales people, the room set-up, and look of thing makes you feel. OK.. that turned out to be a rant.
Don’t discredit your golden ears….. they were just probably at home at the time.
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Interesting. This video is along the same lines. https://darko.audio/2026/02/my-hi-fi-hierarchy/
I think John Darko has shares in Room Treatment companies.
I also suspect he is correct too
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Having auditioned over half a dozen or so headphones many years ago over several hours, the differences were very much ‘night and day’ between manufacturers. However, the differences between three different LCD models was less so but still there. I chose Focal Clear in the end.
I have 4 main pairs all very different sounding Sony HH1000 MX4, Focal Clear Mg, Sennheiser HD800 and HiFi Man Arya Stealth
Each has a distinct sound signature, if anything Sennheiser wins overall but I swap by genre . Focal better for heavy rock. Arya better for classical keyboard etc