[1] how I compare speaker wi
Get someone else to wire the same speakers to A/B outpus of your amp,
without telling you which is which. Switch between the two while
listening.

--
Jim H

I personally Jim think this is wrong or at the very least flawed as it
provides nothing but confusement.
The mere idea of letting someone else fiddle with your Hi-fi knowingly
without knowing what they have done is enough to make the brain go bonkers!
Rather than attempting to listen to the music, your attempting to think
about cable changes and mentally trying to figure out which cable is in use.
It's rather like messing around with your computer rather than using it for
it's intended purpose.
Your worrying if it's running properly and optimally rather than just
getting down and doing whatever you need/wanting to be doing and therefore
get distracted and ultimately not putting your all in.

I prefer to install a cable for days on end if not weeks by which time you
should be thoroughly aware of how your system sounds and more importantly
what your hearing on those tracks you are playing. Then change the cables
and listen to the same tracks/music for a similiar period. this way you
should be accustomed to any differences in the system.
I would perform this type of test during daytime and evening time to allow
differences in temperature and Mains interference levels (plus ambient
noise).
I would also try to conform to uniform weather patterns. Meaning steer clear
of hot humid days or cold chilly nights which could easily affect the
equipment sound unless your lucky enough to own a air-conditioned room.

If after all this you still have doubts. It will be due to 2 things. Either
the equipment you are auditioning is not sufficiently different to warrent
worrying about or what you have listened to has not sufficiently logged in
your brain and the test will require repeating until your satisfied.

I think A/B comparisons in the manner you speak of or any equipment
comparison that requires short term switch over is doomed. I used to go to a
dealer that insisted on this type of dem. In the end I could not offer my
hard earned cash to them as I felt their method was flawed as I struggled to
define differences clearly enough to make a real conscious decison.

Steve