Audiophiles should learn from people who created audio

@willemj  

I agree that intrumentation is far more resolving and reliable than human hearing.

However, it is still astonishing that we can hear up to 10 dB below the noise floor. Our hearing is very much like a spectrum analyzer. I dont subscribe to the idea we can hear the shape of wavefronts - this is nonsense. However, given enough audio signal it is astonishing how well we can work out the frequency content. 

In theory, and according to the designer, there shoukd not be an audible difference from Benchmark DAc 2 to DAc 3 but I hear something. Extremely subtle and I admit that I would not detect this in a blind test but with rapid A to B I hear something. Instrumentation of course sees quite a difference in THD+N performance but at a level that should be inaudible.

This is, of course, interesting because we know from the measurements that there is a difference. Methodologicaly the problem is that you do not believe it is big enough to show up in a double blind listening test, and it is beyond the level where by common consent it is believed the limits are of human hearing acuity. So it could just be expectation bias. How do we decide that what you hear is real?
My real concern is when measurements show that there is nothing there, or even, that the audiophile marvel measures badly and is still praised by golden ears.

@geoffkait 
"One problem I suspect is that audiophiles for all their bluster aren’t very sure of what their listening to and uncertain as to how to proceed to improve whatever it is they've got. it's a sticky wicket."

Might it be on account of circus clown snake oil scam artists like you insisting magic rocks and phone calls will tweak audio gear or the listener's brain and that some things just can't be measured? People would do well to come to terms with what measurements sound like so they can make informed choices instead of giving snake oil pitches the same credence as actual science. 

Eek!

Yup, that’s all one can expect from a self proclaimed F5 clown 😉