Jim Rush of PTE (Precision Transducer Engineering) of Orange, CA explained that he was using the system in his room, headlined by PTE’s The Phoenix self-powered, bi-amplified loudspeaker ($5700/pair), to conduct 10 different blind tests with five sequences. The results of his experiments, which he said demonstrated that most people couldn’t discern differences with a high degree of accuracy, are slated to be posted to PTE’s website.
In the test I witnessed from the sidelines, attendees were asked to distinguish an analog source from a digital copy made using Antelope Audio ultra high-resolution electronics. Besides the highly accurate The Phoenix, the rest of the equipment chain consisted of a George Warren turntable outfitted with a Graham 2.2 arm and Soundsmith Hyperion cartridge, PTE’s MM/MC-R phono preamp ($1595) and a T+A 2030R preamp.
