Why do you buy audiophile components? Because they're shiny, thick, heavy, or exotic? Because someone tells you they're better? Because scientific measurements show them to be more neutral? Because twenty random people claim they sound better under double blinding testing? To impress your friends?
To me, measurements are valuable only insofar as they can predict my enjoyment of a piece of equipment. If measurements and experience align, then those measurements gain credibility. If measurements contradict experience, than question the measurements. This kind of questioning has led to a better understanding of exactly what charactersitics of tube amps are subjectively pleasing.
Now say I take a Fuji apple and a Gala apple that I want to compare. Food growers swear to me that they're very different fruit: "they taste different and have different textures." So I look at them and they have a very similar appearance. I take one bite from the Gala, then one bite from the Fuji, but I taste no difference and feel no texture variation. I cut them open and observe similar structures and seeds. I put the apple slices under the microscope and note that they have identical-looking cell structures. Finally, I burn both of them and determine that they provide about the same number of calories. With my examination complete, I declare that I can find NO difference between these allegedly different fruit.
What conclusion can I scientifically draw?
-Cooper
