I see the usual suspects are overly triggered this morning. I had some fun, got a run, in, had a wonderful breakfast with my wife, and all the while you guys were being keyboard warriors. Priority mates ;-)
geoff, please keep insulting the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and calling them pseudo-skeptics. I am sure when the average joe looks for audio advice he will take that of a guy selling magic pebbles over a group of actually recognized experts ... nice to see you have your PhD in psychology and/or behavioural sciences now as well. Unfortunately, you probably don’t so that negates us having some interesting discussions on the topic. Oh well .... your "backfire effect" is old news. I know, already huh? It was an interesting theory, and there may be instances, but overall, it has been shown in larger studies to be .... wait for it .... wait for it .... wait for it .... false
http://educationblog.oup.com/theory-of-knowledge/facts-matter-after-all-rejecting-the-backfire-effe...There are many other supporting articles, so don’t take my one link for it, research it yourself.
But even if partially true, I don’t go on forums to convert ostriches. They are a lost cause. I come to forums to help, even discuss with the vast majority that are truly interested in the best sound they can achieve for a given dollar, most of who just read but never post. The ones who go, "Hey, ya, why are there no blind listening tests by suppliers in whole audio categories if their claims of differences are so substantial", but also the ones who need guidance so they spend money on things that will truly make a difference like speakers and room treatment. They may not know how foolish it is to wax poetically about how the latest fuse or cable change totally improved sound-stage and imaging, meanwhile room acoustics are so poor that good imaging will never happen, and compared to the rest of the system, the speakers are in serious need of an upgrade.
And t_ramey, call it saviour complex all you like, most call it being a decent human when you help others. Would you tell an auto-mechanic or automotive engineer they have saviour complex when they tell someone on a forum, that no, the latest 200mpg "gadget" is just like all the ones before it, bunk? Or maybe the electrical engineer who tells the potential mark, that no, that magic PFC device that someone wants to charge you $400 for is not going to save you 20-30% on electricity and likely won’t make any difference you will notice because North American residential electricity is sold on kWh, not kVA? Do they have saviour complex as well, or are they just putting their expertise to good public service and helping their extended neighbour? Who knows, maybe you are one of those people who rails against the Doctor who publicly and often tells people to get vaccinated because yes, herd immunity matters, or the medical researcher who jumps on forums and claims, quite correctly, that so many "alternate medicines" don’t help, and not getting proper treatment could endanger you.
This "magical thinking" is not the exclusive domain of the the poor, the less intelligent, or the less educated. In fact, it appears to strike those of above average intelligence and accomplishment more, as they are more convinced of their own superiority.
A few year back, someone was diagnosed with a form of pancreatic cancer. Fortunately for them, that form of cancer was one of the least aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer with a high success rate of cure. Their doctors recommended immediate surgery. Their family and friends encouraged them as well. Believing they knew better than doctors, instead, they started a regimen of acupuncture, supplements, and alternative dietary interventions. By the time they accepted that alternative treatments were not working, the cancer had spread and no amount of money could save them. Not some average joe, Steve Jobs. So the next time you through around a term like saviour complex, remember, that even the best and brightest need to be reminded at times that they are wearing no clothes.
