Investigating perceptual differences between two trumpets of the same model type

Two mass-produced trumpets of the same model type have been shown to exhibit significant acoustical differences due to the presence of a tiny leak in the bore of one of the two instruments. In this paper, psychophysical experiments are presented which demonstrate that these acoustical differences do not necessarily result in perceptible differences in the playing characteristics of the two trumpets. In particular, during a listening test, very few musicians discriminate successfully between sounds produced by each trumpet. Similarly, only a small number of trumpet players successfully distinguish between the instruments when subjected to a playing test, although those that do are shown to be able to provide distinct and consistent quality assessments for each one.