07-04-12: LaceeWhile there are certainly Objectivists who fit this description, I will point out that I am an Objectivist about the majority of audio topics, and here is a list of tweaks I've tried...
What I find ironic is that the Objectivists, or the folks who demand scientific proof, never indulge in the true spirit of science.
Which would have to be the experiment...
Yet the Objectivists refuse to experiment or in our case, try the tweak that is in question.
Custom crossovers (Mundorf caps, Mills resistors, etc.)
Custom power supplies
Custom internal wiring
Custom internal shielding
Cryo'd Romex
SS impedance buffer
Tube impedance buffer
Ultra low noise op amps
Reclocker
Interconnects costing more than $2K
4 different power conditioners (2 Shunyata, 2 PS Audio)
4 different AC outlets (Shunyata, Synergistic, Maestro, PS Audio)
3 different outlet covers (nylon, aluminum, non-magnetic steel)
WBT Nextgen connectors
2 Audiocom Superclocks
TI Shield
RCA/XLR caps
ERS cloth
AC noise harvesters
Ferrites
Various viscoelastic damping compounds
Outriggers
Anti-diffraction felt surrounds
3 different audiophiles fuses (Hifi Tuning, Isoclean, Furutech)
Sand traps
Maple platforms
Gingko platforms
Black Diamond Racing platforms
Brass damping weights
Brass cones, spikes
EVS Ground enhancers
Progold
Ayre Acoustics glide tone
Copper sleeves for power cords
...and that's off the top of my head. So there are at least some Objectivists who are willing to experiment with tweaks, even highly controversial ones. I mean, 3 different outlet covers? That should demonstrate my willingness to try nearly ANYTHING.
As I mentioned at the end of my last post, being an Objectivist doesn't necessarily mean that you're a Skeptic. It's true that many Skeptics attempt to JUSTIFY their skepticism on the basis of Objectivism. That may give the impression that Objectivism and Skepticism are the same thing, but they are not.
If you want an example of an audiophile who is an Objectivist but not a Skeptic, I am it. If you want an example of a real person who is an Objectivist but not a Skeptic, then Nonoise has already provided it: Scientists working at the frontiers of scientific research.
Scientists are almost universally Objectivists, but the pioneering scientists are almost never Skeptics. If pioneering scientists were Skeptics, they would not labor for 10 years to build a 27 kilometer tunnel designed to search for an elusive particle that remained undiscovered for over 40 years after its initial prediction. If they were Skeptics, they would have long ago said, "To Hell with it, Higgs was an idiot, and we have plenty of bosons as it is." Some scientists did say that, and it now appears they were wrong. Thankfully for us, there were more Believers than Skeptics.
Bryon