In fairness to HG, I think that there's been a lot of condescending comments from both sides in this discussion. I'm putting my own hand up here well, but there is also an aspect of pot/kettle/black from you. Quite frankly I don't understand the purpose or value of this thread anymore.
It's clear that there's two deeply opposing viewpoints on this and neither is prepared to listen to, or show any respect to the other side. Both sides seem to insist that their's is the only sensible viewpoint and anything else is merely subjective/ scientific mumbo jumbo or bordering on a cult.
My own approach, as an engineer, is that I rely a lot upon measurements but believe that there are clearly things that can't be measured. I've worked on many, many problems over the years where I had all the measurements in the world, but they couldn't explain a phenomena that I could clearly see (or maybe hear).
However this doesn't mean that I believe that people can hear a lot of what they think that they can hear. For instance I find it hard to believe, but am open to being proven wrong, that anybody can hear the difference between two different mains cables or fuses (unless one is clearly substandard/ damaged). What seems to be an outright refusal to even engage in blind testing for one simple aspect like this, appears to me to be an admittance that they don't really have any confidence that they could hear any difference either.
I suppose the only consolation is that if you want to spend £1,000 on a mains cable or £250 on a single fuse, without considering how the last 1 meter of cable can really make a difference that the last 20 km back to the substation didn't, then fair enough to you. It's your money and I have no right to get upset or call you names. My only anger around any of this is directed at the people who market such things. As I mentioned, I'd be perfectly happy if somebody could actually prove that it does make a difference and I would consider myself enlightened.
I do think that there are some exceptional products in home audio, but there is also a lot of snake oil. This is the main reason why I tend not to take to a deep an interest in it but dip in when I'm looking to upgrade.The last time I took any real interest in it was when the likes of Messrs Belt and Hughes were around.
I do find some of the 'what did science ever do for us' type comments quoting a few instances where science fu$£ed up over the years as quite amusing. They're clearly too 'Life of Brian' to be taken seriously. If you really feel like this I'd recommend you step away from your computer, hand over your mobile phone, switch off the broadband (and anything electric really, so the hifi's gone) and go back to your horse and cart. I hope you enjoy life without any of the comforts of modern life, kindly brought to you by scientists and engineers.
Ok, rant over.
) wasn't directed at me personally, so I won't take it that way, nor will I respond. If you did intend it to apply to my posts, then I'd appreciate knowing which ones.