I'm guessing that the sellers of these components fall into 2 categories: scammers, and well-intentioned people who misunderstand the technology and physics beh

I'm guessing that the sellers of these components fall into 2 categories: scammers, and well-intentioned people who misunderstand the technology and physics behind it. I like to think that they mostly fall into the latter category, but that may be wishful thinking on my part. As an aside, it can be very difficult to run a true unbiased audio experiment. From http://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html http://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html : "The Digital Challenge - More on ABX Testing[1], tells a fascinating story of a specific listening test conducted in 1984 to rebut audiophile authorities of the time who asserted that CDs were inherently inferior to vinyl. The article is not concerned so much with the results of the test (which I suspect you'll be able to guess), but the processes and real-world messiness involved in conducting such a test. For example, an error on the part of the testers inadvertently revealed that an invited audiophile expert had not been making choices based on audio fidelity, but rather by listening to the slightly different clicks produced by the ABX switch's analog relays!" [1] http://www.bostonaudiosociety.org/bas_speaker/abx_testing2.htm http://www.bostonaudiosociety.org/bas_speaker/abx_testing2.h...