"Given what audiophiles do believe, is this really a surprising statement?"
I would like not to, and in general do not, believe in such claims. But I do run into a problem.
There is a product that sounds fine, any product but you could use these Yamaha speakers as an example. Someone designed and produced it way better than I could ever dream of. That person claims something this "outrageous" and I want to dismiss it. Well, if that person is just making things up, snake-oiling it, why on Earth does her/his product sound good then? She/he may know a thing or two about designing/making it that I do not.
So I give up beating the truth out of it. I give some benefit of the doubt to the designer/manufacturer and just use the product as intended. In the end, why would I even care if it is the paint or not?
