Upgrading Fuses

Jeff,
While I agree that there is enough hype or snake oil in high end audio, it does not apply to all the products. I had a pair of Nordost 4Flat speaker cables for 3 years. Then I decided to try out the current Signal Cables I have. It did not take more than a minute to realize that the Signal Cables were much better. The price difference was not hundreds of dollars between these 2 cables. Later I also did try a pair of Nordost Blue Heavens and Red Dawns which are expensive than my cables, but did not like the sound they imparted in my system. They were a bit bright to my taste. Where is the psychology factor in this case?

The point I am trying to drive is, some hobbyists may go with the "expensive-is-better" theme. But most others will decide on stuff after they experience it. If it does not suite them, they will return or sell it. What baffles me is the "science text book" abiding community makes comments without experiencing things. So you guys totally assume things?

One more thing - I think it is a bit wrong to assume that humans know everything about metals/electricity/etc in physics. There may be some "attribute" about stuff that humans are currently not aware of, that remains to be discovered years later. Yes, I may be wrong, until proven right. But who knew (when first calculated) that there exists matter in this universe that travels faster than the speed of light.

Human brain is so used to paradigms that make sense of everyday life that new paradigms do not seem to make any sense. That is why it is called paradigm shift.

Nicely stated, Lacee. I agree with your perspective save one comment:

*****What's the satisfaction? Is it a sense of superiority that he is too smart to fall for such drivel as a fuse having any significance?*****

I think you got it backwards. It is a sense on inferiority. Inferiority at not being able to hear what others can, or fear of not being able to. The proof of this is in a very telling comment by Metro when he states:

**** the onus of proof is on the person claiming to have extraordinary human abilities****

There is nothing extra ordinary about it. Some have better, or better trained, hearing/listening ability than others. That's all. What I find ironic about all this is that the differences that we are talking about pale in comparison to the differences that musicians debate concerning equipment. Differences, as in the case of Stradivarius violins, no one has reliably been able to measure and quantify.

Milpai - "snake oil in high end audio, it does not apply to all the products."

No argument here.

"So you guys totally assume things?"

When it comes to what we regard as snake oil one side assumes away science and the other side assumes away the belief that it makes sense to disregard science. The assumption count has to come up even at the end. There is a neat thread somewhere on this site that asks folks about their personal limits of acceptance for what is 'obvious' snake oil and what is worth consideration.
You are likely not reading this with a pan on your head because you assume you do not have to worry about it protecting you from being harmed by aliens, but you can't prove that aliens aren't reading your mind right now, you assume.

"I think it is a bit wrong to assume that humans know everything about metals/electricity/etc in physics."

Agreed, but if we didn't do the best we could with what we know then you'd probably have that pan on your head right now.

Frogman,

You're right about musicians. All the guitarists I know (some famous, some not) are very particular about whether they use a certain tube amplifier or one of solid state design. None of them argue over whether there's a difference.

10-12-11: Jeff_jones
"There is a neat thread somewhere on this site that asks folks about their personal limits of acceptance for what is 'obvious' snake oil and what is worth consideration."

To me, this is the crux of the debate. When someone's limit is above or below their own some people simply cannot deal with that.
George Carlin had a bit like this about driving (apologies in advance for butchering):
When you come up on someone who is driving slower than you, you say, "C'mon A-hole, move it! That guy's an A-hole!!"
When someone passes you, you say, "Look at that mainiac! That guy's a maniac!!"