The Absurdity of it All

@Perki - totally respect your point and fair question. But I respectfully disagree with you - some do claim HUGE differences. And if one part can't be determined to be better, than how would the sum of those parts be better? (0 + 0 = 0.) If they can't be determined on their own, than how can a combination of them make it better? (I hope I was able to articulate that okay... If not, my apologies in advance.) 

And, I'm open to it. But, I have been bashed for my own experience which, is no change in my system. It's something wrong with my ears, or my 30k system, or my room - or my inexperience. I'm absolutely open to an A/B test. (And I have done them.... often times thinking I heard an initial improvement but, when blind tested, I can't tell.) 

I think there’s more than hearing acuity.

People who are older may have less hearing acuity but have more experience.

I spoke to Fremer recently, he said I may not hear as well as I used to but I listen better than ever.

I think that about sums it up.  It’s always good to have someone with more experience point you in a direction.  Right or wrong for you, that’s another story entirely.

Like the bumper says “Old guys rule.” 
Doubless this was coined by an old guy. Most likely he was single. 

When I was a lad I gave my dad a bumper sticker that read;
Old age and cunning will always overcome youth and skill.
He loved that sticker. 

All the best,
Nonoise

@jpeters568. 
 I’ve brought this up many time to help illustrate my point. Take two capacitors from two different manufacturers, exact same specs, exact same measurements. Sound different. Do the same with two tubes. They sound different.

Shouldnt matter, I agree, but yet, it does. Why? Don’t know, don’t care. If I replace something, or change something up, I live with it for a while. Then I consider what is missing, or what there is perhaps too much of. Then I make a change again and listen for changes.

If you are watching a film of poor video quality, after a little while you don’t notice that bad quality so much. The mind compensates - especially if it’s a film that has captured your interest.

Same holds true for sound. If I’m trying to tune a bookshelf speaker after having been listening to electrostatics, it’s going to cause some problems. So, I live with them for a while, let my brain adjust before I listen critically and attempt to make changes.