Audiophiles cannot tell the difference between premium copper wire, a banana, or wet mud when listening to audio signals, according to a shocking new experiment. The blind test conducted on the diyAudio forum revealed that even trained listeners were unable to reliably identify which material was transmitting the sound.

The Audiophile Blind Test Methodology

A moderator named Pano set up the experiment to challenge assumptions about audio cable quality. Participants listened to sound clips with four different versions: one from the original CD file, and three others recorded through 180cm of pro audio copper wire, 20cm of wet mud, and a 13cm banana with copper pennies soldered to old microphone cable.

The results were surprising. "The amazing thing is how much alike these files sound. The mud should sound perfectly awful, but it doesn't," Pano noted. "All of the re-recordings should be obvious, but they aren't." Technology experts say this challenges decades of marketing claims about premium audio cables.

Test Results Show Random Guessing

After collecting responses from 43 participants over one month, only six correct answers were recorded out of 43 guesses. This represents just 13.95% accuracy, barely better than random chance. Statistical analysis using the binomial distribution formula revealed a 6.12% probability that listeners were simply guessing.

The results suggest that listeners cannot reliably pick out the original recording from the looped versions, indicating they cannot detect any changes introduced by the transmission medium, whether it is pro-grade copper wire or wet mud from somebody's backyard. This flies in the face of audiophile culture that often promotes expensive cable upgrades.

Why Poor Conductors Still Transmit Audio

The tester surmised that introducing materials like bananas or mud into the circuit is similar to adding a resistor in series. While these materials are poor conductors, they are unlikely to distort the audio signal significantly, except by lowering the signal level slightly.

Pano came up with this idea after watching a documentary about the US Army setting up telegraph wires in the Philippines. The army used the earth as a return path for the circuit, even over long distances. This led to the question: if telegraph signals could travel through the ground, what would an audio signal sound like using the same medium? Science enthusiasts have praised the experiment for its creative approach to debunking audio myths.

Implications for High-End Audio Industry

The experiment raises serious questions about the high-end audio cable industry, which sells cables costing hundreds or thousands of dollars based on claims of superior sound quality. If audiophiles cannot distinguish between copper wire and a banana, the justification for premium pricing becomes questionable.

Audio forums have long debated whether expensive interconnects make a noticeable difference in sound quality. This blind test provides empirical evidence suggesting that for most listeners, the differences are imperceptible. The results align with previous studies showing that perceived audio quality often depends more on listener expectations than actual signal differences.

The audiophile community has responded with mixed reactions. Some dismiss the test as flawed, while others see it as validation of what they suspected all along. Read the full experiment on diyAudio.