Does hearing the best in high end audio make your opinions more valid?

The so called "best" amplifies sound as opposed to the music. I auditioned the very top of the line ARC, including CD player, and it amplified sounds in the background that I have never been able to duplicate or heard so clearly, even though I've listened to this CD for 20 years.

I became so beguiled by this, that I focused on that ability, and forgot about the music; consequently, I can't answer the question.

Since it was very expensive, the question to ask, "Is the most expensive the most musical, or the most fascinating"?

It took me a lifetime, but I have a very "musical" system now, including custom speakers with crossovers designed to produce absolute neutrality.

People talk about "neutrality" but they always opt for something else, even though it's the only way to get precisely what the musicians intentions are on the recorded medium. Many people prefer to alter their music until it fits their specifications, as opposed to the musicians intentions;  hence, graphic equalizers.

To answer the question, I would say "yes", because it takes a lot of effort to hear the best, including reading many stereo magazines, and going places where you hear the best equipment.

@orpheus10. I put a lot of time in the last 14 years. Listening to gear. I have went to several Audio shows. I have traveled to WHITEHOUSE TEXAS on 5 or 6 occasions to hear raidho, magico, Dali, dynaudio, Sonus faber, soulutions, music fidelity, accuphase, soulutions and revel. I have had in home demos of high fidelity cables, Kubala sosna and amplifiers, allnic, esoteric, veloce, Manley, Cary. I have owned Vienna acoustic, rel, Resonessence, classe, lsa, Sony, EAR, bryston, marantz, Sonus faber, revel, Gato, definitive technology, Kr Audio, Ayon and Audio Research. I have tried cables by high fidelity, Mit, clarity Cable, atlas mavros, kimber, clarus, shunyata. My close friends have owned focal, Ayre, mark levinson, rogue, oppo and Luxman. I feel that I have been blessed to hear all of this gear and truly see what’s possible in Audio and high end Audio. My journey is basically done. I’m going to stay with the system I have for a while and just listen to the music and enjoy it. I have my opinions about all the stuff I have heard and I have enjoyed this hobby to the fullest. I think hearing it all has made me a better audiophile. A lot of it sounds good in many different ways and flavors. Whatever you think enjoy your journey. I have really enjoyed mines

Naming dropping is nice but comes across as just another, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours maneuver. 

>>I have went to several shows<<

Enough said about your credibility