WHY DO SOME AUDIOPHILES TRY TO TELL OTHERS WHAT THEY CAN OR CAN’T HEAR IN A SYSTEM?

If it's not, it should be!

Generalizations, assumptions, presumptions, interpolations, extrapolations certainly dominate audiophile discussions. Direct experience with the exact issue or topic at hand doesn't mean much these days, too many voices pulling people in too many directions, I 'd hate to be a newbie audiophile today. Back in the day before social media we needed direct experience in order to learn. I very well remember the demonstrations @mrkrichman spoke about, I was often confused coming out of those as I didn't trust my own expertise or sensory perception. Over time with more direct experiences I became a much more self assured audiophile.

The internet is both a blessing and a curse. Everyone does the google to become an expert. It's the time we live in. 

Sometimes, I think we don't know what we are missing until we do. What I mean is, we all think our systems sound good. We might not know that if we do X it will sound so much better. 

let me explain

My system is all vintage, it sounds wonderful!! Went down the hole that is tweaking. Got some improvements here and there. Then I did a partial recap on my pre-amp, just changed out 12 caps in the sound path. WOW, what a difference, changed everything, had no idea what I was missing!! That lead to a FULL refresh on both pre and power amps. OMFG, HUGE difference! More detail, more dynamics, bigger soundstage, more bass, more mid, more treble. But most of all, the noise floor almost vanished! 

Had no idea what people really were talking about when they said inky blacks, or dark sound. Low noise floor. During a soft passage to loud, I literally jump in my chair now. When it's quiet, it's really quiet!!! Now I fully understand what a low noise floor does. 

My point is, we don't always fully understand what others are trying to tell us, or what certain things really mean, until we experience them for ourselves. Now, I totally can hear all the background noise, totally miss all the detail on other systems. 

calvinj

‘It is usually against those who spend money on more expensive equipment and cabling. Why is this so prevalent?’

Its called PENnIeS Envy!

They either don’t have one, can’t afford one, or are intimidated and feel others equipment  (not literally) …are bigger!

Thats my logic!

This issue doesn't put me on the defensive or make me angry.

It's pretty simple, actually. Sometimes someone tells me I cannot hear something, and I ask if there's another ways to listen. Often, there is.

Hearing, like the other senses and taste in general, can be developed. I have learned to hear better because other people have helped me to become attentive in a new way.