And, audiophile purists would not hesitate to quote Dr. Toole when he claimed auto room EQ systems wouldn't work because what the mic measured wasn't what we heard, the our ears are the best.... etc.etc., yet they seemed to ignore him when he, the same Dr. Toole, also claimed the only way to get consistent results is to do it blind, in one of the 1 hour and 14 minutes long video, he said "if you know what are you are listening to, I don't care what you think.....it doesn't matter.......
It's most similar to a religion (not trying to start a religious discussion, just making a comparison to explain human behavior) .
You can't use logic to argue with the faithful. Similarly, even the fanatics are often hypocrites, picking out the things they agree with and wielding them like a weapon and ignoring all the things they don't agree with and if called on it, they will say god will forgive them, but not these other people they don't happen to like...their lifestyle dooms them, of course!
You can't prove God's existence either way with science, but take something slightly simpler like trying to convince an audiophile that a double blind test will prove their claim right or wrong is then probably more similar to offering a flat earther a ride into orbit to prove the Earth isn't flat with their own eyes. They will likely fight even the temptation (usually out of fear) but even if you do prove it to them and they don't just say they were hallucinating or bewitched by demons or whatever, like the Amish they will be cast out and shunned by their brethren and they don't want that. This is similar to the Cave analogy with Plato (or the Bob Carver challenge to Stereophile).
Now to take the other side, some, like Santa Claus likely know many of the claims are dubious at best, but things like tube amps are more "fun" than solid state and both Christmas and pro wrestling are more fun if you even half convince yourself it "might" be real or at least partly real!
The soft glow of tubes on shiny aluminum or steel chassis, the ritual of high-end basic controls like toggle switches and setting the anti-skate control on a turntable before playing a used record you got at a garage sale (mining gold! They didn't know what they had!). It's so like a religion. You gain comfort from the ritual, the knowledge of doing things "right". The audio gods are pleased with you and smile brightly on you with good fortune!
The allure to the untrained mind is very strong! I feel its tug even now...must resist that Carver Silver Seven set of tube amps...tell myself it was just a marketing ploy to sell the transfer modification function line of solid state amps to audiophiles....but it sounded so good!!! Ugh....I must have them! I must! To eBay before someone else gets them! .... Damn! I was too late Marty! I can't get back to the future! How could I invent some fool 1.21 gigawatts!?! I can't generate that kind of power! It can't be done, Tom! It can't!
