How do you listen to an ABX test?
Do you mean the pre-screening shows this or do you mean that previous tests show it's possible to discern differences? If you are suggesting that other tests can be used as a validation that this test is there fore sensitive enough, I would have to disagree with you. Why? Previous true positive ABX logs pile up as a mountain of evidence supporting that the method itself and more specifically the implementation works. So at this point there already is little to worry about for a personal test, in which I guess you just want to test if you can hear a difference with your system. But a reality check with a low bitrate mp3 first still wouldn't hurt. Could save you some time if you have bad hearing or a bad system. Passing such a check would be confirmation that the current conditions and test method (e.g. ABX) are fine.Willingness & motivation are necessary but that doesn't mean that the test conditions itself haven't effected the participant's performance. I suggested catch trials as the most direct way of doing this. And we have told you that catch trials will negatively impact performance for a couple of reasons. You are basically disrupting the participants and prolonging the test needlessly. But sure, go ahead and implement your test that requires at least 3 randomly switched DUTs during the 'main' test. Be sure to tell people that A or B can randomly switch to this third DUT, so they cannot concentrate on just comparing the two devices of interest. Be ready for the attacks from your friends that will throw terms like 'sensory overload' and 'mental distraction' at you. And once you have the results be sure to ask your favorite omniscient source to tell you how badly your intervention has distorted the very thing you tried to measure in the first place. I will when I get a chance but I don't remember anything you posted which addressed my point here. No comment. tl;dr: Read the very beginning of this discussion.