Tweaks

Properly set up gear is so hard to find.There are many stores that sell HIFI but very few who now how to really show it off.
Locally Alternative Audio have it down to an art.
8 rooms properly set up.
Any one within 8 Hours of Dundas,Ontario make a weekend out of it.USA Dollars go a long way in Canada.

Kelly, I have found that Kentucky Blue Grass works best with SS gear while Rye works best with tube gear! Also, one foot square sod plugs make EXCELLENT accoustic wall tile! Happy Tunes!

Don't do like I did and try to cut corners by using astro turf, it sounds completely hard and artificial. Might bleach it to see if it will sound less colored. Thanks for the tip about the flamingos, they brought out alot of subtle nuances in my system.

Sean, you are absolutely right on target. We hear differences and we don't know to what they should be attributed but we are confident that they exist. I think that's a given for most of us. It is where we go from there that makes the difference in our long-range understanding of good sound.

In the short run, these matters are easy: Try it. Like it? Got the cash? Do it.

In the long run, we need to continue to explore and measure and poke and prod and make careful comparisons. We need to be unafraid to put our subjective comparisons to the test, knowing that testing methods are imperfect but likewise not without value. We need to candidly acknowledge that:

(1) Some clearly discernible differences in sound exist that cannot be measured or quantified...at least not yet, possibly never.

(2) Some perceived differences probably arise from a whole lot of extraneous factors such as how much we paid for our gear or how many hours we spent tweaking it.

Exploring these possibilities ought not be so intimidating to either EEs or GEs that they go into conniption fits of character assassination every time they come face to face.

Augustine said it: Love God and do as you will.

Kelly, if maintaining the health of your grass is of paramount concern, look no further than the 'Gon as there is no shortage of BS being bandied about here. Unfortuantely, Pbb, the same will be of little use in maintaining your reasoned and healthy sense of skepticisim about this hobby.