The Great Cable and Interconnect Swindle: An Etiology

[Kal Rubinson]

57 minutes ago, 992Sam said:

Just like with just about anything, there is a diminishing return for the money spent on anything...   I mean a $1000 amp, isn't 1/10th as good as a $10000 amp, nor is a $100,000 amp 100 times better...   but it's more of a exponential / logarithmic type curve that defines the quality of an item...

The issue I take with your scaling is not the curve but whether there is a real correlation that can be generalized.  

[Kal Rubinson]

7 minutes ago, 992Sam said:

Well then, we must respectfully disagree...

At least, we can agree on that!

[Kal Rubinson]

49 minutes ago, 992Sam said:

 

I'd be curious to know what you specifically disagree with... maybe cite an example? 

No single example.   Assuming that you could somehow reasonably quantify good/better (which I doubt) and graph its value against cost/price in a scatter plot, I predict a cloud without a visually discernible trend.  It may be possible to derive a statistically defined trend line but its usefulness would be minimal.  Just look at the wildly different choices that individuals make in building a system and how many of those choices would be antithetical to others because they are based on different criteria and value systems.

 

Vivent les différences. 😎

 

 

[Kal Rubinson]

4 hours ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

Hi Kal,

agreement (concordance) between choices is not necessary to establish a correlation between variables. In statistical terms correlation and concordance (magnitude of agreement) both indicate strength of association between variables but are conceptually distinct.

 

correlation of variables can be assessed for variables that look at completely different constructs. "wildly different choices that individuals make in building a system"  and non agreement due to "different criteria and value systems" does not exclude a possible correlation of say price and desired outcome.

 

Strictly speaking it is not sensible to speak of agreement (concordance) between variables that measure different constructs eg weight and height - one can assess correlation but not agreement.

Thanks.  Perhaps I should have separated the two thoughts into separate paragraphs.  The "wildly different choices that individuals make in building a system" due to "different criteria and value systems" also biases the variable of "good/better" because  the majority of people make their assessments with full knowledge of the identity and cost of the product.  

 

So, ideally, how would one gather valid information to do this?  One variable, price/cost is objective while the other is a mixed bag.  I, for one, do not see a pressing need to do this anyway.  It was just an expression of my view of the issue.