Jeez, I don't think I really should continue to participate, but since we're having such fun at the moment...
I think
Beer predates
Audiology by about 5,000 years. So, obviously Beer > Audio.
My experiences judging beer have demonstrated to me that different people have different perception threshholds for certain compounds. Likewise, some people
prefer dominance of certain compounds.
I guess I'm just proposing that what some people hear - and how that makes them feel - won't necessarily be the same as what I perceive or how it makes me feel. And that it is difficult (or perhaps impossible) to absolutely measure such things.
I've trotted this out before, but I still think it's relevant whether we're talking about comparisons between cables or amps or whatever.
To me, there are at least three different questions that are often detrimentally rolled into one.
1. Can *I* perceive a difference?
2. If I can perceive a difference, do I have a preference?
3. If I have a preference, is the increased cost/trouble a good *value* to me?
Even in the context of the double-blind studies, I'm just not comfortable (nor do I find particular value in) asserting that another listener can't possibly tell a difference. I have enough trouble inside my own head; I certainly don't aspire to comprehend how somebody else's brain works.
At some level, we're probably at a Faith v. Reason dichotomy.
