After sending my Schiit Magni 3+ in for warranty service a few weeks ago, I decided to get a cheaper amp to power my HD6XX in the meantime. I ended up going with a FiiO A3 that I found on Craigslist for ~$30.
Fast forward some time and I finally received my Schiit back from service, good as new. But this left me with a decision to make. Do I keep both, or sell one? Do I really need both? If I do just keep one, which one would it be?
The only reasonable answer was SCIENCE!
So I ordered an A/B switch off of Amazon and had my brother help me with a blind A/B test between the two amps with my trusty HD6XX.
We volume matched both amps to a somewhat louder than normal volume using a constant test tone. I put the headphones on, closed my eyes and he started playing AC/DC. Once he clicked the switch several times in quick succession to āshuffleā which amp I was listening to, he started switching from one to the other in random intervals. Once I had gained enough confidence, I told him to stop, and indicated which amp I thought I was listening to.
During the tests, I was never very confident in my decision, but to my surprise, I was able to pick the correct one every single time. To me the only difference seemed to be the clarity in the upper frequencies.
However, using my brotherās HD8 DJās, there was absolutely no difference. The results were random.
I figured Iād share my experience and see what everyone elseās experiences are when it comes to direct A/B testing DACs and amps. If you guys have any tips or methods to make this more effective, or if you have any interesting anecdotes, Iād like to hear.
Good stuff, especially blind and volume matching. You might want to try introducing triangulation, both to test/hone your ability to identify and to increase reliability of the results.
For example, have him shuffle but not actually switch. And then have him play 3 samples, two of A and 1 of B, and you have to properly identify. Gain settings sometimes sound different also.
Iāll check out your post. For headphones, itās tough to do blind comparisons independently (as far as I know). Itās easier for blind coffee/tea/libations tasting.
If these comparisons interest you, you might want to read our DNA Starlett tube amp thread where I discuss my A/B comparisons (granted, not blind) of the various headphone outputs (TCR vs XLR, gain, impedance).
I recommend reading the articles in the āBig Sound 2015ā on Innerfidelity. Tyll Hertsenās contributions, including the conclusions for which Iām providing the following link, are fascinating, as are the other participantsā reflections; in fact, the whole thing is well worth reading: Big Sound 2015 Wrap: What I Learned | InnerFidelity (note you need to use the internet wayback machine to access the articles now that IF is defunct).
Besides the valuable things the contributors have to say about blind tests, the articles also offer fascinating insights into what constituted the summit of headphone listening half a decade ago. Itās interesting to consider how things have changed since then (or not?).