[Radio Wrangler]

There is another psychological factor kicking around as well. It's that there can be satisfaction in having something you think is nice, even if it has no objective, functional justification.

We all have our collections of vintage electronics, with no rational basis for the pleasure they give us. But the pleasure is real nevertheless.

I ride a horse for heaven's sake. A rational person might question what's wrong with my range rover? It's just my preference and I don't have to justify it.

We all have our interests, but we should be careful not to get sucked into some of the pitfalls of trying to justify them.

'High end' audio becomes truly risible once they wheel out pseudoscientific justifications. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. If they'd just got the sense to not try, the fancy gear becomes jewellery and can be simply enjoyed for what it is. For some reason the human race is addicted to pecking orders and the urge to list things in order of some sort of goodness (I cite almost the entire internet as evidence!) Why bother? the goodness is spread across many parameters and comparisons at best are indirect and often misleading. It all depends on an individual's weighting of the different aspects.

I find it odd that much of the public is prepared to disbelieve a bona-fide scientist and to immediately believe a bona-fide conspiracy theorist.

So, your audiophool friend is perfectly within his rights to have his fancy equipment, and I'll defend his right to do so, but I'd recommend he doesn't try to trot out any of the tomfoolery justifications. I'd only laugh.

Maybe we can wean him off. Once you stop worrying about the gear, you start to notice the music.

David