Are there any absolute truths???


Whenever I ask an audio question it seems the answer always starts out with "Well...it depends". So I'm wondering if there are any audiophile "absolute truths" that we all can file away as great advice and use confidently over and over again. Just to get it started, I'll offer up the following and see how long they hold up before they get shot down.

Audiophile Absolute Truths:

#1. The quality of the stereo system is what the owner says it is, not someone else.

#2. System synergy is more important than anything else.

Both humorous and serious replies are welcome.
hank
I really liked reading here. I have read, and read many (conflicting and contrary) reviews, and advice, etc. It is very interesting after reading everything, that there isn't
a clearer understanding. I find in life, that it isn't so much what I learn, as it is what I unlearn, that really teaches me. I find myself enjoying my system more, and learning to let my ears be the judge. It seems to not be an overnite process though, but it is starting to be a little bit more enjoyable.
I just don't know, but I sure did when I started. I think what I mean is that I am unlearning some of the overbearing hype that seemed to get in the way of the fun that this can be. Not that I have overcome my obsessions, just that I am
doing the same thing I was, only with better self control.
Certain amps really spark a curiosity in me (Citation 7.1),
and the Audible Illusions Modulus 3a preamp seems like a really good sounding component, but I can live with what I have. What really helps me is to read the above, because it helps to confirm what I have been feeling. Thanks....
*A bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush.* Don't fret over the fact that what you have isn't good enough until you explore all the options that will make it as good as it can be. So often we give up and move on to the next "improvement" without realizing the full potential of what we have.

"Keep your connections clean for good sound." To further expand on that excellent advice by Detlof the following is offered, if you are a tube groover, don't forget to clean those tube pins! A dremel tool, polishing pad and a wee bit of compound is all it takes. It's cheap, will make a dramatic difference especially with those NOS tubes that have been sitting in the box for the past 30 years.

Another audio truth, the amount of money spent does not necessarily correlate with greater enjoyment of listening to reproduced music.
Albert, you speak only too true. I've had all of this happen. As well as guests worried about "electro-smog" and complaining that the system does not sound like a radio and hence is scary, because there are no musicians the eyes could latch onto....
Great responses from Tubegroover, Albert, Detlof, Garfish, and the one and only Redkiwi. The only absolute truth I know, at least for me, is it will not be long till I have something new in my system. Probably a mental thing. Must be a mental thing. There are absolute truths.
" The more you know, the more you know you don't know. "
--Aristotle

I know so much, I don't know anything at all....

Or maybe I just don't know anything, and I know it.

Or maybe nobody knows nothing. Yeah, that's it! And let's all try and keep it that way!

-Mike.