Quote:

If someone buys expensive speaker wire and hears an improvement in the sound (even though it may just be in their head) isn't it still worth it?



Ah ha! Yes. Several questions/observations come to mind.

Can we agree there is a difference between the following:

1. It can be proven scientifically that wire A provides better technological performance than wire B; and

2. In blind A/B testing, I can discern a difference between wire A and wire B; and

3. In blind testing, I can not only reliably discern a difference between wire A and wire B, but also have a preference between the two; and

4. It makes me feel happy to have wire A.

I don't think ANYBODY would fault somebody for taking the latter position. It's those first three that get contentious.

You also raise the question of Value, which I think is fascinating. Doing so clearly involves not only subjectivity but also economics. Even if I could honestly fulfill criteria 1-3 above, I would clearly have a different level of economic pain for incremental sonic gain than someone with greater material wealth and/or higher level of passion.

I say, get whatever makes you happy, but don't expect others to idly suffer derision for their own choices, which are necessarily built on their own honest beliefs and experiences regarding the matrix of science, perception and economics involved.

bibere usque ad hilaritatem