ACTUAL MUSICAL SOUND VS. MEASUREMENTS

Arrogance bad.  Measurements good.  Two different things. 

There is also the other side of the coin, people who ignore psychology/psychoacoustics and the limits of physics and human hearing.

"I put this cable in and it sounded better", but no indication whether old and new one was swapped in several times: second = better, and confirmation bias.

Or the "break in" aka habituation. I have yet to see a blind A/B test where anybody can tell brand new from broken in piece of equipment >8/10. I don't believe in break in, not for one second unless there is some sort of demonstration. The more outlandish the claim, the more rigorous the demonstration needs to be.

Re ignorance of physics, e.g. Fremer/TAS in the context of TT speed consistency re-parroting marketing material that 1 arc second may be audible. Just the slightest amount of reflection will make it clear that this is physics nonsense.

That coupled with dealers being unwilling/incapable of setting up demos. I asked Upscale Audio to set up a demo to show that TT pinths (as opposed to carts) can sound different, and despite plenty of notice they were unwilling/unable to do that. What's someone who has healthy skepticism and a scientific mind to do? Measurements is a good first approach to cut through the marketing hyperbole. It's not everything, but it is a start. 

I think the point is the more aggressive criticism of those who use different methods to choose their gear. I don't care for measurements very much, believing they are very limited though potentially useful. It's perfectly fine with me that some prefer to decide mostly based on measurements. I have my own "testing" protocols that work just fine for me. Others have very different methods. 

calvinj

... am I the only one that has had it with overly pushy audiophiles that push measurements as the end all be all ... obnoxious ones that talk down to you because of the measurements of your system or equipment is not perfect for them?

I don't take them seriously. It's apparent to me that there are some who come here solely for their joy of creating conflict and starting arguments. They're not audiophiles. They're lonely people seeking engagement.

Upscale Audio is there to sell product not let cynics or tire kickers waste time and money.