Hey folks, I don't want to incite yet another flame war here, but Tom_Bombadil, a highly reasonable guy who frequents the AVSforum, claims that he could actually hear sonic differences among different CD/DVD players and DAC's in blind tests. He openly admits that the same is NOT true among solidstate amps and pre-amps -- he says he has almost never been able to hear a difference among them (which, to me, makes his claims more trustworthy).

Here are exerpts from his recent posts in the AVSforum:

While I have participated in a number of double-blind tests which have created serious doubts in me as to the differences in solid-state amps (however I can't say that all of them sound the same), and pretty much the same from any reasonable quality solid-state preamp (although I believe they can be made to be different), the same tests have confirmed to me that there can be pretty significant differences between CD & DVD players, external DACs, and receivers functioning as same.

...

I too have brought in some very well-regarded high-end amps and preamps and spent 2-3 days with them, conducting double-blind tests toward the end of those periods, and was never able to discern much of a difference. With the exception of some tube gear, which is quite understandably different.

I own low- to mid-level amps from Parasound, Audio Alchemy, Rotel, Cary, and the amp-in accessable amp in my HK AVR8000 (yes, I own 5 amps). I've tested various combinations of these amps against gear from Pass, Krell, Aragon, BAT, and Threshold. (and I've run even more comparisons in friends' homes and on dealer showfloors.) I've yet to see anyone pass one of these comparisons.

One of those dealer-floor comparisons was an Adcom 5500 vs a BAT amp through some very expensive speakers. Neither I nor the salesman were able to tell them apart. The sound was magnificent through both.

But I have passed multiple CD/DAC comparisons, and found a couple of them quite easy to pass. I've failed my share too. I've twice upgraded my CD gear after passing and loving the difference.

So based on these experiences, the primary money in my system has been spent on the CD front end and my speakers. There may be differences in the way that amps sound, but I've yet to hear any difference that justified the cost of upgrading ... at least with solid state gear.


What would y'all say on these claims?