wrote

A demonstration of the variant of the placebo effect
that applies to audio. And it is brutal on one's ego
for one to admit that one has fallen for hype.

How is reality validated when the end result is
null testing? What new model have we found for
prediction? Answer: None.

"one's ego"... you really don't understand
consumer behavior.

Should the informations that reveals some
advertised upgrades are not real, be hidden?

While to much information can lead one to make
the wrong choice, in general more information is
better than none. And statistical information is
good when it’s worth believing.


Is it not OK to at least provide that information and
then let them decide what course they may want
to pursue?

Who should provide the information? All information
is tainted in one way or another. And in a way the
source you pick to provide the information will almost
certainly be based on your own personal
(non-science/cognitive/emotional) belief system.

In your own life experiences with audio equipment
do you place information (specifications) over your
actual empirical experiences? For example you
read a good review and audition the unit in you
home setup. Do you struggle to conform the
information into you experience or is the experience
(auditioning) a higher form of reality?

Do you have pride-of-ownership in anything audio
that you own? How does that manifest itself?


Seems like useful information for some people. There
will always be people who will refuse to beleive that their
eyes can fool their ears, but for the rest let them have
any and all useful information.

What's better than having choices? But you seem
to want censorship to your way of thinking because
you know what is best for everyone else.

You are missing the point. Hardly anyone purchasers
audio equipment based on specifications alone. It just
doesn't happen unless the purchase is an appliance/utility.
No pride of ownership is demonstrated in this behavior.
That is to say that the emotional component is also
necessary.

Here's what consumers are most interested in
when they make a purchase. Note that there is
no single reason and emotional components are
at play. And like shopping for cars if your
spouse is a party to the purchase no other
aspect/factor is more significant than their
approval (nontechnical factor).

Factors Considered Most Important When Purchasing
Hi'-Fi Equipment*:

Sound quality 97.5%
Price 77.0%
Quality of construction 74.2%
Reputation of manufacturer 70.5%
Reviews 59.6%
Design 49.7%
Appearance 33.1%
Reputation of dealer/supplier 30.4%
Brand 29.7%
Warranty 29.3%
Service 25.0%
Dealer recommendations 23.4%
Advice of friends 17.2%
Ease of operation 13.7%
Advertising 6.1%
Ease of installation 5.3%

* Stereophile paid survey.