snilf, I understand your position and accept your logic. But let me suggest that the situation isn’t as dire or impossible as you may believe, or have expressed. However, it may be time consuming and as such, may be considered difficult. Many posters here, post on other audio sites. Find the ones you gel with sonically and equipment wise and go from there.
Fortunately, I have managed to be around a lot longer than CD’s, the Internet, iPods, cell & bag phones, Walkman’s, cassette recorders and 8-tracks; coming from a time when audio shops and component sales were profuse, measurements were published, but reliable reporting, information and personal observations were scarce to non-existent.
Thus, I can’t stress enough how beneficial the internet and forums such as this, have been to me and hobbyists in general and the audio hobby specifically. And it wasn’t that way because someone published equipment measurements, discussed electrical theories, the pros and cons of individual parts etc. Some of those discussions, may aid equipment designers, but individual parts are not the end all, be all, to we end users. In fact, I have found designers and their designs to be far more important and relevant, than the mix of their parts.
Over the decades, I have learned about and bought equipment after spending untold hours and then more, reading and researching. If enough time is spent, it is possible to wade through the chaff to find the wheat. By doing this, I've bought and enjoyed several wonderful, decently priced, boutique components. Without forums such as this, I would never have found those.
I have met with people at their homes and audio stores and found individuals on forums with similar sonic preferences and equipment tastes like mine. We have been able to share a glass of wine, observations, preferences and together, we have come to similar conclusions. I have learned from those. The learning was NOT quick or easy, but it was doable.
There are many very high-quality components; who many will agree are just that. But we each develop our own tastes and preferences with our own audio tastes that may be the same as others or not, as you suggested with your wine analogy. Who is right, wrong or otherwise? In total, no one. It is a subjective personal hobby where minds can meet to agree, or disagree. In the end, it is all about what pleases us, not others. But we must learn just that, through trial, after trial.
Once, a really good frequency response level is attained, especially a superb, nuanced and detailed midrange, incremental improvements can found be in the intangibles and mainly unmeasurable areas, such as soundstage and imaging. These provide the ability to recreate the illusion of being in a recording room, a concert hall, or smoke-filled jazz and blues club – close your eyes and your there. Well of course not really, but goosebumps and a feeling of being there are possible and important. Until those so-called intangibles are heard, they are unknown. Just as until a really good wine or whiskey is sampled, or varietals are tasted, their positives and differences are unknown.
As much as some want to diss the golden ear premise, to learn what is good or what one prefers, one needs to sample many and varied audio systems, including for example, speaker types such boxed cones and domes, open baffles, panels/ribbons/eltrostats, horns etc. But live instruments and music for points of reference, must also be sampled. For example, I fondly recall the first time I took my percussionist son to an acoustically great performance hall, for a symphonic performance. I leaned over and asked him what he thought? He said it sounds like the audio room, dad. Well of course it didn’t! But it was a good approximation, in that instruments sounded like the instruments they were and music was equally enjoyable in both places.
I do agree that jaw dropping hyperboles abound in reviews and forums when changes to our system's may be thought to produce same. But you know when that new component is inserted (let alone a tweak is made), no one but us would generally know the difference. We then become accustomed to the status quo, until a until another change is made.
Suffice it to say, that I have heard many more good, or great systems than otherwise. They might not have been my precise cup of tea, but the performances they recreated were entertaining and fun to listen to. Isn't that what we're seeking? Once a certain level is attained, sideways or incremental moves are possible, but difficult and the law of diminishing returns kicks-in.
I think there are those that want system builds to be quick and easy. They are not! But objective measurements and parts are easy to prioritize and quantify. Simply seek 1) the best measuring component; 2) with the parts that everyone agrees are good; 3) at the all-important best price; 4) voila you’re done! You can then feel good about your choice(s), because the measurements said you should and they were the best, for the bucks spent! So, I can see why some go in that direction and remain there. But I would hypothesize that is only an impatient few and not the majority of us, or we wouldn’t be here.
