What's your view on blind testing?

The OP's original claim that the "scientific group" supports negligible differences between components is a misrepresentation of scientific perspective. The purpose of blind testing is to remove the variable of personal bias and/or expectation, not to remove or eliminate sensory differences. If upon blind testing, differences are heard at greater than chance levels, then so be it. Assuming that all components are the same, save the one component being compared, then the differences heard are perceptible for that individual.

It can take weeks of listening to tease out subtle differences of even relatively significant differences between components.

However, if someone writes that their jaw dropped when component or wire or tweak X was inserted into their system, that person should be able to identify X in a blind test.

I think that reviewers should participate in a well designed blind test every couple of years just for fun, for bragging rights, just to see what the pros can and can't hear. A lighthearted mood should be maintained during the test and no one's job should be dependent on the results.

The "of" after the word "differences" in the first line of my post above should read "or."

My view? Well, I can't see a thing. Wait, where am I, and what's all this noise about?

Having a group of sophisticated listeners blind test gear over weeks is the way to go. However feeding, housing, bathing, and generally putting up with them during the test period can be challenging, and you merely end up with a group of grumpy, whining experts who just want to go home.