'MOST WEAKEN' argument

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'MOST WEAKEN' argument

by SeemaSkl » Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:21 pm
Converting vinyl records to CD or other digital formats makes little sense. Vinyl records, played on a high-quality, well-maintained turntable integrated with a top-grade audio systems produce a more natural sound than do their digital counterparts, since the latter use computer code to store and reproduce audio signals. Since human ears are, in fact, analog hearing devices, music enthusiasts will get the most realistic listening experience if they switch from CDs to vinyl records.

Which of the foll, if discovered to be true, would do most to weaken the above statements:

A. Most people who listen to music do not have access to high-end sound systems
B. Music enthusiasts are not always willing to pay top dollar for brand-name turntables.
C. analog audio systems are more expensive than are digital audio systems
D. Vinyl records are not nearly as portable or convineient as are digital music clips, which can be stored by the thousands on a keychain-sized device.
E. Many indivisuals are unable to discern any difference in fidelity between digital and analog music stores.


Answer is A acc. to Princeton. I think it is out of scope because the point is about getting a realistic listening experience rather than accesibility.
Choice E does not totally weaken the argument since it says 'many' indivisuals and not 'all' but the best choice acc. to me because if it is true, most people will have an equally realistic listening experience, weakening the conclusion.

ANYBODY AGREE/DISAGREE?

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by SeemaSkl » Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:24 pm
Oops TYPO in E: last word is 'sources' not 'stores'

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by showbiz » Sat Aug 07, 2010 6:17 pm
SeemaSkl wrote:
Answer is A acc. to Princeton. I think it is out of scope because the point is about getting a realistic listening experience rather than accesibility.
Choice E does not totally weaken the argument since it says 'many' indivisuals and not 'all' but the best choice acc. to me because if it is true, most people will have an equally realistic listening experience, weakening the conclusion.

ANYBODY AGREE/DISAGREE?
You are right. Its a fight between Many and Much. My answer would be E as well. A is out of scope. BTW. Princeton is stupid.

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by SeemaSkl » Sat Aug 07, 2010 6:45 pm
Thanks and good luck for your GMAT.

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by debmalya_dutta » Sat Aug 07, 2010 9:04 pm
My pick was A

OA please...

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by reply2spg » Sat Aug 07, 2010 9:18 pm
My initial pick was E. However, I didn't understand how OA is A?
SeemaSkl wrote:Converting vinyl records to CD or other digital formats makes little sense. Vinyl records, played on a high-quality, well-maintained turntable integrated with a top-grade audio systems produce a more natural sound than do their digital counterparts, since the latter use computer code to store and reproduce audio signals. Since human ears are, in fact, analog hearing devices, music enthusiasts will get the most realistic listening experience if they switch from CDs to vinyl records.

Which of the foll, if discovered to be true, would do most to weaken the above statements:

A. Most people who listen to music do not have access to high-end sound systems
B. Music enthusiasts are not always willing to pay top dollar for brand-name turntables.
C. analog audio systems are more expensive than are digital audio systems
D. Vinyl records are not nearly as portable or convineient as are digital music clips, which can be stored by the thousands on a keychain-sized device.
E. Many indivisuals are unable to discern any difference in fidelity between digital and analog music stores.


Answer is A acc. to Princeton. I think it is out of scope because the point is about getting a realistic listening experience rather than accesibility.
Choice E does not totally weaken the argument since it says 'many' indivisuals and not 'all' but the best choice acc. to me because if it is true, most people will have an equally realistic listening experience, weakening the conclusion.

ANYBODY AGREE/DISAGREE?
Sudhanshu
(have lot of things to learn from all of you)

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by FightWithGMAT » Sat Aug 07, 2010 9:41 pm
SeemaSkl wrote:Converting vinyl records to CD or other digital formats makes little sense. Vinyl records, played on a high-quality, well-maintained turntable integrated with a top-grade audio systems produce a more natural sound than do their digital counterparts, since the latter use computer code to store and reproduce audio signals. Since human ears are, in fact, analog hearing devices, music enthusiasts will get the most realistic listening experience if they switch from CDs to vinyl records.

Which of the foll, if discovered to be true, would do most to weaken the above statements:

A. Most people who listen to music do not have access to high-end sound systems
B. Music enthusiasts are not always willing to pay top dollar for brand-name turntables.
C. analog audio systems are more expensive than are digital audio systems
D. Vinyl records are not nearly as portable or convineient as are digital music clips, which can be stored by the thousands on a keychain-sized device.
E. Many indivisuals are unable to discern any difference in fidelity between digital and analog music stores.


Answer is A acc. to Princeton. I think it is out of scope because the point is about getting a realistic listening experience rather than accesibility.
Choice E does not totally weaken the argument since it says 'many' indivisuals and not 'all' but the best choice acc. to me because if it is true, most people will have an equally realistic listening experience, weakening the conclusion.

ANYBODY AGREE/DISAGREE?
In making the conclusion "converting tape to digital makes little sense", the author assumes that most of the music lovers have the systems mentioned in the armaments avaliable to them.

A is the logical negation of this assumption.

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by seshadrivyas » Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:39 am
This is a very tricky one and I got it right. Here is the reason why A is the answer.

E - Nothing wrong with this choice, except that it contradicts a premise given in the question. Despite its logical absurdity, we have to assume that the human ear finds acoustic music better to hear.

A - It makes a point that directly conflicts with what is stated in the passage. On the GMAT such choices always take precedence over the choices like E.
The question stem says that Vinyl records played on a 'high-quality and well-maintained' device produces a sound that is more familiar to the ear. Only if people do not have access to such devices, we can make a case for the conversion to CD.

Its a very good question. More such ones please.

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by SeemaSkl » Mon Aug 09, 2010 8:33 am
mmmm...I would disagree - I still think A takes the argument out of scope by bringing 'accessibility' into the picture. E weakens the argument while staying within scope which makes it the best ans. choice. Also, A is not a premise like you say as it is not stated anywhere in the argument. If anything, it would be an assumption BUT an assumption which is not necessary to make in order to arrive at the conclusion.

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by FightWithGMAT » Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:00 am
SeemaSkl wrote:mmmm...I would disagree - I still think A takes the argument out of scope by bringing 'accessibility' into the picture. E weakens the argument while staying within scope which makes it the best ans. choice. Also, A is not a premise like you say as it is not stated anywhere in the argument. If anything, it would be an assumption BUT an assumption which is not necessary to make in order to arrive at the conclusion.
Assumption is absolutely necessary to arrive at a conclusion.
If it was not the case, no negation test would exist. So pls revise your notes.

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by SeemaSkl » Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:47 am
You misunderstand - Of course assumption can be necessary to arrive at THE conclusion (stated IN the passage) but not just ANY conclusion (NOT stated IN the passage).