[WGH]

The link below has an interesting demonstration of the McGurk-MacDonald effect. Even though the effect is related to speech I would think it influences everything we hear. My mind is tricked every time I watch the video.

http://www.flixxy.com/hearing-and-vision.htm

The "McGurk effect" is a phenomenon which demonstrates an interaction between hearing and vision in speech perception.

[rollo]

  Hmmm got me as well. I guess maybe that is why I perfer listening with closed eyes. The lights low or off as well. Cool find.


charles

[dflee]

As far as associating this phenomena with anything beyond another person, if you can "sight hear" say an animal or better yet an audio speaker reproducing sound, now that there is something I would pay to witness. Being a little hard of hearing, early on I found I could understand speech better when I was watching the person speak in order to lip read even when I did not realize I was doing it. We know the movement of the mouth and lips to produce sound and automatically use it when watching others talk.

Don

[Kevin Haskins]

Both obviously.   

Human perception is a brain thing so it is no secret that it involves all of our senses.   

[gerald porzio]

Sure, some need to see the brand names to conjure up epiphanies. Yes, I agree not all components sound the same.

[WGH]

I am biased against Paradigm speakers, in previous listening sessions in showrooms and at a friends house there is no magic for me. Even though they are probably excellent speakers when set up properly I would cringe if I saw a pair in a client's house and have a preconceived idea about how they would sound. Would my brain influence what I hear even with my eyes closed? Probably.

All my electronics and turntable is in an adjoining room and hidden from view which removes at least one bias when friends come over to listen.

Wayne

[K Shep]

Do we listen with our eyes?  No.

Do we hear with our eyes?  Yes

[Pez]

I only hear Dada. And I find it very disturbing when I grown man calls me Dada. 

[jimdgoulding]

  Hmmm got me as well. I guess maybe that is why I perfer listening with closed eyes. The lights low or off as well. Cool find.


charles

I'm wit you, mate.  The visual can impose itself on the event at hand, or ear.

[Wind Chaser]

The visual can impose itself on the event at hand, or ear.

Very much so!  I think there are a lot of people, who if hearing a system for the first time blindfolded, might be surprised how good a solid state system or non analogue / digital source can sound.

[gerald porzio]

Many need to see the brand name to detect differences. For spkrs., they don't need to see the brand name. Neither does anyone else.

[WGH]

Are there any blind equipment reviewers in print or on the web? I know there are a few deaf ones.

[turkey]

Many need to see the brand name to detect differences.

Quite true in many cases.

For spkrs., they don't need to see the brand name. Neither does anyone else.

But the brand name or the way the speakers look often influences people's perception of speakers during sighted tests.

[Mike Nomad]

Well, there is Synethesia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

There is a famous jazz drummer (sorry, I can't remember his name) who had similar wiring. He would see colors as the band played, and he would confuse some of the members by saying things like, "Play more green."

[mort]

I deeply beleive that, for non critical components, I.e Interconnects, speaker wire. People hear better sound depending on the knowlage of how much he or she spent on the said item. I also would wager that with non critical listeners image of a particular component and probably size can have a major influence on perceived sound quality.

[Nuance]

  Hmmm got me as well. I guess maybe that is why I perfer listening with closed eyes. The lights low or off as well. Cool find.


charles

Dito.  I close my eyes and get lost in the music...or fall asleep eventually. 

[Nuance]

Are there any blind equipment reviewers in print or on the web? I know there are a few deaf ones.

I dunno, but there are folks who listen under double blind conditions.  Peter Aczel comes to mind.

[Stu Pitt]

This reminds me of a study of people's taste in wine.  The same wine was poured into a few different bottles with different labels on them.  Not different style names or vintages, just different artwork and names.

The wines that had the nicer artwork and more appealing names (somehow objectively nicer looking and better sounding)consistantly 'tasted better.'

[JimJ]

When I was competing in auto sound quality shows, I remember one time where a friend dropped in a speaker in the middle of the dash - not hooked up to anything, but just sitting there. His center image scores went up a bunch

Shortly after I stopped doing those...

[mort]

The wines that had the nicer artwork and more appealing names (somehow objectively nicer looking and better sounding)consistantly 'tasted better.'

I recall that wines with cute animals scored much higher with woman. This could relate in more ways than one!