@ holmz
We may have to agree to disagree on some points. I know there is always a psychological element at work, but if you have been around a lot of live acoustic music, played an acoustic instrument or been in the hobby for an extended period of time, then I do believe you can develop an 'educated ear' and can reliably tell the difference between something different versus something better. I think where the confusion often comes into play is when there is an overexposure taking place such as going to an audio/video show and visiting dozens of different rooms. Even so, though, I still believe that even in an environment like that an experienced audio/videophile can reach some valid conclusions.
So for me, I pretty much trust my eyes and ears knowing that not everyone would agree, and that's OK.

