Great job Aleks!

I can already see the direction this test is headed in: Discernible differences between headphones, almost indiscernible differences between amps of a type (SS-SS; Tube-Tube etc.). It'll be interesting to see how the H(ype)F(actory) reacts to this. In late 2013 there was a dude on head-fi who took it upon himself to go through with a similar project: A great comparison of DACs from a few hundred to many thousand bucks. At one time that guy had more than 10 devices in his room, and also had people come in and listen. He reported the whole thing on head-fi. At first he was applauded, everybody was into it, that changed quickly when his findings came in: Neither he nor his guests could discern any worthwhile sonic differences between the dacs - even at highly different pricepoints. His conclusion was that above a certain level all that mattered were ergonomics, price and looks. Needless to say the thread turned into one of the most epic flamewars of that year, the last third of which is now heavily 'redacted'. I think quite a few people got banned from HF during that time, me included.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to other people's opinions on Tyll's selection: Especially with regards to headphones! 

A really big thanks to Tyll! This for me seems to become one of the most interesting tests I have ever come across. It puts things in perspective.
Yes there is really really great gear these days but the first thing to consider is how good and trained are my own ears and up to which price & quality level can I truly get a more rewarding musical enjoyment experience?
I have always been very sceptical when I read about HUGE differences even between different cables or after small mods.
At the same time spending more time with this hobby my hearing has become finer and finer and I surely appreciate a good system!
So I am looking forward to hear the experiences when some of the `golden ears´ will be visiting Tyll.
I also loved Tyll´s introductary writings about blind testing and the right and left brain. When going through some tests in the past (like the Golden Ears contest by Philips) there were tests where I had to concentrate and listen for small specific changes, with others it was easier to just lean back and sense differences just from the incoming sensation of the musical experience as a whole...

Awesome job Alek & Tyll!

Nobody needs to train their ears.
Some folks want to, to others it happens naturally as they wander around the joyfull path in audioland.

Some people get a kick out of subtle cues and then the (endless and expensive  ) search is 'on'.
Of course revealing enough gear is essential to make them audible as is knowing what to listen for (the training bit comes in handy).

Like with all things in life ... even with training some won't be able to hear as 'deep' as others can and some hear things that probably aren't even there.
For instance, you can train in sports all your life but most likely will never reach olympic levels, simply because not everyone is 'built' the same, has an equal talent or abilities.

If you don't hear differences others tell you there are, then count your blessings and you can enjoy music on a much smaller budget. 

Interesting impressions JK-47, thanks.

talking about training ones ears. I don't get the concept.

Why would I wanne train my ears to perceive very sublte differences, which do not
matter in the end. Just for the peace of mind?
If I don't hear significant differences why should I train? To justify ridicoulus priced gear?

I know, right. Why should I learn to cook when there's a place with a dollar menu right up the street? Why should I get a college degree when I can get a job at the local Water & Sewerage plant down the street with just a high school diploma? (After all, I'll make just as much.) Why should I get married when I have a Tinder app and a winning profile? (Weddings cost money. Plus, he/she will own half your stuff after. That's a suckers game.) Why should I learn another language when I already know English? Why should I learn to fire a gun when we already have police? Why should I go to the movies when Netflix is cheap and right here in my living room?

Why do anything better? Why crawl out of the goddamn primordial ooze? We were just fine before we had fucking midocondria man and life is hard.