ABX Double Blind Comparator
| The ABX Company designed, manufactured and sold the ABX Double Blind Comparator System, which made possible scientifically valid self run subjective comparisons of audio components. The information on these pages is historical. This web site documents the ABX Comparator System and lists the subjective test results obtained by the company and the Southeastern Michigan Woofer and Tweeter Marching Society, SMWTMS. I was one of six partners who formed and ran the ABX Company from 1980 to 1987. |
| May 7, 1977 SMWTMS did the first ever audio double blind subjective listening tests. An argument over the audibility of differences between amplifiers at a club meeting in November 1976 resulted in an agreement that a double blind test could settle the question. Just six months later, Arny Krueger gave a lecture on his design of a double blind comparator and the first three double blind tests were done. The results include the first three listed in the Power Amplifier Comparison Table in the data. Thus we credit Arny Krueger and his opponent in the argument, Bern Muller, as the inventors of the ABX Comparator. The agreement to create a company to manufacture comparators was informally made the following summer. |
Send questions or comments on the ABX Web Page to David Carlstrom.