The test is an "enforce blind A/B comparison" meaning:

1. You compare two samples A and B, and has to tell which one is "worse" (is distorted)
2. It is blind - you don't know which sample is the original signal, and which one the distorted
3. It is enforced - There is no "I don't know" option: even if you are unsure, you are asked to tell your opinion. This helps digging into subconscious, intuitive decisions, and avoids a "rather than saying something wrong, I say nothing" position. It is amazing how sensitive the ear can be to distortion, even though you cannot say definitely what makes the difference.

When taking this test, you get a subjective impression how different kinds of loudspeaker distortion sound. If you know this, you are able to detect them much more easily. Immediately after the test, you see your results - and you may compare your hearing capabilities with other listeners. You also get a feeling what kind of music or test signal is critical, or what kind of stimulus can be played on every speaker without hearing a difference. Finally, when you take the test again, you will most likely notice you find lower thresholds - your ear has been trained.

Klippel collects the data - anonymously of course - and aggregates statistics that explain the mechanisms of hearing distortion. The basic statistics are immediately available on the Klippel web site.

Take the test! Find out your sensitivity to distortion.

• Klippel Distortion Audibility Test