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FeaturesJ. Gordon HoltThink PiecesHistorical
The Highs & Lows of Double-Blind Testing
Larry Archibald, J. Gordon Holt, C.J. Huss  |  May 05, 1985  |  0 comments
Editor's Note: In 1985 and 1986, an argumentative thread ran through Stereophile's pages, discussing the benefits or lack of double-blind testing methods in audio component reviewing, triggered by J. Gordon Holt's review of the ABX Comparator. As this debate is still raging nearly 15 years later, we present here the entire discussion that bounced back and forth between the magazine's "Letters" section and features articles. It was kicked off by a letter from C.J. Huss that appeared in Vol.8 No.5.—John Atkinson
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As We See ItJ. Gordon HoltHistorical
Down With Flat!
J. Gordon Holt  |  Apr 29, 1985  |  0 comments
A tradition is anything we do, think, or believe for no better reason than that we have always done it, thought it, or believed it. Most traditions are followed in this mindless and automatic way, and, if questioned, are defended with the argument of, well, that it seems to work. It's time-tested, true-blue and, because so familiar, as comfy as an old slipper. So why rock the boat, throw a wrench in the works, or fix it if it ain't broke.
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As We See ItJ. Gordon HoltHistorical
The Absolute Sound of What?
J. Gordon Holt  |  Feb 17, 1985  |  0 comments
One of the things that distinguishes a dedicated audiophile from Joe Q. Public is that he has some notion of what audio fidelity is all about.
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As We See ItHistoricalJ. Gordon Holt
Snob Appeal
J. Gordon Holt  |  Jan 12, 1985  |  0 comments
A number of recent letters have accused us of snobbishness and elitism because we devote so much space to reports about components that "common folk" can't afford. We are "snobbish" because we seem to look down on anything less perfect than a Wilson WAMM speaker system or an Audio Research SP-10 preamplifier. And we are "elitist" because we seem to show little interest in any components which fall short of state of the art. Far from being chastened by these letters, I am proud, to declare that they are right on target.
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As We See ItJ. Gordon HoltHistorical
The Truth Should Out
J. Gordon Holt  |  May 04, 1982  |  First Published: Jul 04, 1982  |  0 comments
This issue contains a report on a truly ingenious little device called the ABX Comparator, which takes the fraud out of subjective testing. It does this by making its own selection of source A or source B for each listening trial, without telling you which was selected. Only after all the tests will it reveal what you were listening to each time. "Score" sheets are provided so you can list your guesses, compare them with the cold, uncompromising truth, and file the results for posterity. Or better still, for the first hard evidence that has ever been presented that a lot of people can hear differences that cannot as yet be measured.
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As We See ItJ. Gordon HoltHistorical
What Makes a Good Recording?
J. Gordon Holt  |  Jan 04, 1982  |  First Published: Mar 04, 1982  |  0 comments
The sound, of course, but here's a checklist of 16 specifics to consider when evaluating your own or somebody else's live-recording efforts.
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As We See ItJ. Gordon HoltHistorical
High Fidelity at the Crossroads
J. Gordon Holt  |  Apr 17, 1979  |  First Published: Apr 18, 1979  |  0 comments
101 years ago, the tinfoil cylinder started it all. Within 22 years, its heyday was done, and public support swung to favor the then-new wax-mastered disc. 1948 saw the switch to a slower speed and a finer groove, but the flat disc, traced by a stylus, has held sway for almost 80 years now. Even today, people with multi-speed turntables and a couple of arms (or plug-in cartridges) can reproduce from a single phono unit the earliest or the latest discs merely by the flip of two switches (for speed change and cartridge change). All that is about to come to an end.
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As We See ItHistoricalJ. Gordon Holt
We Did It!
J. Gordon Holt  |  Apr 29, 1978  |  First Published: Apr 01, 1978  |  0 comments
In 1960 the high-fidelity field was in a period of stasis. The hi-fi boom was starting to crest out, and there were three magazines for audiophiles: High Fidelity, Stereo Review, and Audio. The first two were (and still are) little more than vehicles for their advertising, more dedicated to promoting their advertisers' wares than in advancing the state of the art. Audio was more into equipment testing than either of the mass-hi-fi magazines, but it too was contributing to the stagnation by listening to its test results rather than to the components.
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Budget Component ReviewsHistoricalJ. Gordon HoltStand Loudspeaker Reviews
BBC LS3/5a loudspeaker
J. Gordon Holt, Various  |  Mar 17, 1977  |  First Published: Mar 01, 1977  |  2 comments
These diminutive little sleepers have been available in the US for quite some time but have attracted little attention because (1) they have never really been promoted and (2) they are just too small to look as if they could be worth $430 a pair.
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As We See It
The Great Distortion Delusion
J. Gordon Holt  |  Jun 01, 1973  |  First Published: Sep 01, 1973  |  0 comments
Hey, kids, here's the Big News. We've been deluding ourselves all along, worrying about piddling little bits of distortion that we can't hear at all. How's your preamp distortion? 1% at 1 volt out? You have a perfect preamp—a veritable straight wire with gain! That ear-shattering shrillness is all in your mind, because it has now been demonstrated that the human ear cannot perceive distortion levels of less than 6–12% on "normally complex music." If you think you can hear 0.1%, you are deluding yourself.
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