# Stradivari violins are reliably preferred and identifiable when players and listeners cannot see them.

> Disputed: Stradivari violins are reliably preferred and identifiable when players and listeners cannot see them.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/stradivari-secret/answers/ANS0CQAGPTJ0BVR/stradivari-violins-are-reliably-preferred-and-identifiable  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Stradivari "secret"](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/stradivari-secret)[Do Stradivari violins sound or play better than the best new violins?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/stradivari-secret/questions/QST0CQAGNVA2FZ6/do-stradivari-violins-sound-or-play-better-than-the-best-new)Answer

Answer · Stradivari "secret"

# Stradivari violins are reliably preferred and identifiable when players and listeners cannot see them.

Stradivari violins are reliably preferred and identifiable when players and listeners cannot see them.

**Disputed** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Disputed** One piece of evidence for, three against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- In blind tests old violins are preferred on average and identified better than chance.

## What would rule it out

- Repeated blind tests in which new violins are preferred and identification is at chance.

## Evidence 1 for · 3 against

[Stradivari violins show higher formant frequencies than Amati violins, a measurable tonal signature.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/stradivari-secret/evidence/EVD0CQAGQST6QFG/stradivari-violins-show-higher-formant-frequencies-than)

Suggestive

FOR

[21 violinists preferred a new violin most and a Stradivari least; most could not tell if their favourite was…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/stradivari-secret/evidence/EVD0CQAGQ2C15GC/21-violinists-preferred-a-new-violin-most-and-a-stradivari)

Supported

AGAINST

[Hall listeners judged new violins to project better than Stradivaris and preferred them on average.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/stradivari-secret/evidence/EVD0CQAGQJ00J9G/hall-listeners-judged-new-violins-to-project-better-than)

Supported

AGAINST

[Six of ten soloists chose a new violin; soloists could not tell new from old better than chance.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/stradivari-secret/evidence/EVD0CQAGQA61B44/six-of-ten-soloists-chose-a-new-violin-soloists-could-not)

Supported

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[Do Stradivari violins sound or play better than the best new violins?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/stradivari-secret/questions/QST0CQAGNVA2FZ6/do-stradivari-violins-sound-or-play-better-than-the-best-new)

AnsweredNo answer ahead

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). Stradivari violins are reliably preferred and identifiable when players and listeners cannot see them. [Answer ANS0CQAGPTJ0BVR]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0CQAGPTJ0BVR
```

Key

**ANS** 0CQAGPTJ0BVR

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

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