I agree. In the right setting, usually a clinical lab, properly designed and controlled blind tests have advanced science in many areas. Medicine is one. Psychometrics is another.
>They do not make everything sound the same. In fact, it is rare that any test I've run came out with close to a null, codec or not.>
Regardless of your perspective, this is an audio hobbyist newsgroup. Presonally, I have not found the audio DBTs I have participated in to be usefull. They seem to make most audio equipment sound the same. Perhaps that's because the tests were poorly designed and controlled.
They do not work for me nor for any other audiophile I have spoken to. Most of the audiophiles in this newsgroup would agree.
Even the small handfull of die hard DBTers admit they don't use that method when deciding what equipment to purchase for themselves.
As audiophiles in a hobbyist newsgroup, audio DBTs have a very limited usefullness. Please read my comments in that perspective.