Dougdeacon wrote: "Why describe what you hear and prefer in emotionally neutral terms while describing what others hear and prefer as "minutia" [sic] of concern only to "golden eared types"? You made many valid points, only to undermine them with a descent into argumentum ad hominem. I see no reason to disrespect anyone else's hearing, musical tastes or sonic priorities."
I always find it interesting that some people can come into a conversation after-the-fact and take personal offense at things written before they began participation in the thread.
And then you lecture on the need to remain "emotionally neutral". Around here? Are you serious? You've got a very selectively applied definition of "argumentum ad hominem"!
I've been in this hobby a very long time and the phrase "golden ear" has been around as long as I remember to describe those hobbyists who focus on the subtle aspects of playback. I've never thought of it as a pejorative term, and apparently neither did The Absolute Sound consider it such when they started their "Golden Ear Awards" for new equipment or the speaker company that used the phrase to name their company!
I realize that my approach to music listening probably puts me in the minority around these parts, but that's fine. It's a big world and there is plenty of room for everyone. There is absolutely no reason to take umbrage over a commonly used phrase that wasn't even pointed in your general direction much less at you.