Objectivism vs. subjectivism. Postmodernist critiques of Englightenment rationalism. As I academic I hear a lot of this--though not in my field. Can be paralyzing. But in life we need to make decisions, e.g., which DAC?. However, since the issue here is participation in a discussion forum with constructive communication as the goal, my response to the recent posts takes a less philosophical bent than TWL's.
Compare two threads. 1. "I bought a new X. It doesn't seem to perform as expected. What is wrong? What can I do? Should I have purchased something else to accomplish Y?" 2. "I bought a new X. I feel stupid. It doesn't sound any better than my $95 1980s X. I have become convinced that there are no differences in audio equipment. I wasted my money. So are you. Justify your existence." Personally, I will enjoy thread 1 more because, given that I am interested in audio, I might learn something I could use in the future and will contribute if I can. I find thread 2 less useful because it is more a statement of newfound faith and challenge to others than an invitation to discussion.
There is, of course, a subjective element in audio. For my part, I can hear differences between different system setups--though the subtle differences may take a little time. My girlfriend cannot. The TV sounds the same to her whether run through the TV speakers or the main system speakers. Her system consists of computer speakers (no sub). It makes her happy. However, since there are biological similarities in human hearing and perception, I would take the comments in response to thread 1 seriously when I think about upgrading even if my subjective results may vary. My 2 cents.
Compare two threads. 1. "I bought a new X. It doesn't seem to perform as expected. What is wrong? What can I do? Should I have purchased something else to accomplish Y?" 2. "I bought a new X. I feel stupid. It doesn't sound any better than my $95 1980s X. I have become convinced that there are no differences in audio equipment. I wasted my money. So are you. Justify your existence." Personally, I will enjoy thread 1 more because, given that I am interested in audio, I might learn something I could use in the future and will contribute if I can. I find thread 2 less useful because it is more a statement of newfound faith and challenge to others than an invitation to discussion.
There is, of course, a subjective element in audio. For my part, I can hear differences between different system setups--though the subtle differences may take a little time. My girlfriend cannot. The TV sounds the same to her whether run through the TV speakers or the main system speakers. Her system consists of computer speakers (no sub). It makes her happy. However, since there are biological similarities in human hearing and perception, I would take the comments in response to thread 1 seriously when I think about upgrading even if my subjective results may vary. My 2 cents.