In a double-blind test all would be the same but the item being tested. In this case the amps. Stereo Review ran a "DBT" at a show years ago. All attendees were invited to participate. Hands down a cheap receiver beat out an expensive Levinson dual-mono stereo package. Just another reason that high-end audio hates DBT. As usual, YMMV
Hard to believe, AND likely not really true rumor-tech stuff anyway. Don't you just HATE getting the 'conclusive results' without the glory details making all the difference for chance of knowing truths of the matter.
In this case. and if being shocked to attention by out-of-technical-context claims, think better to have ability to drill a little deeper knowing the magazine issue and full testing setup details. Otherwise to me, just another unsubstantiated rumor holding only limited truth for normal user expectations and working conditions.
I read the article when I still subscribed to the magazine. It was about 20 years ago and if I had the foresight to know it would be of such value I would have saved it. I think it is pretty hard to find differences in amps these days. The price tag has a powerful effect. You had better say your new Lirpa mono-block tube amp sounds better than anything else in all of Christendom: the just cost you $12,000 a chassis and you'd look pretty stupid if you didn't say that.
As I remember the article it was "all things the same" except the amp. The attendees were the usual mix of propeller heads, geeks, "audiophiles," press hacks and the mentally unbalanced. You've been to them as have I. They are fun. A combo of carnival, science, science fiction and hucksters. Remember the Shoon-Mok disks?? Those tiny little discs of some wood-like product that improved your sound by I forget how much but it was a lot. And the price for those little teeny discs was a lot, too. Many folks bought them and their mysterious powers. They did nothing. Anyway, the original question was about the DBT. Lots of different amps, all the rest stayed the same. Pioneer beat M-L to the chagrin of all there. I loved it and I truly regret not saving the issue.
L8R