2channel
Subjectivity is the label that quacks hide behind to peddle all manner of audio tom foolery. I am in complete agreement the enjoyment of music is highly subjective and since its a human perception issue I believe it will always be that way. What sounds good to me may be nails on a chalkboard to someone else.
If you are an audiophile (I mean that in the best sense of the word not the worse) you already have some idea based on experience what sounds great and what sounds less than great to you. You experience leads you to certain conclusions. And if you are really an audiophile when a new format makes itself known, rather than poo-poo'ing it, you do a little research and then give it a try and see if its all talk or is there some good stuff there.
That's what audiophiles did when CD's became available. The market voted clearly for digital. Once digital, lots of improvements have come along. Some made it in the court of public opinion, some didn't. MQA has now come along with some lofty claims and some techno jargon. Audiophiles should go and try it out rather than just blather about it. Its free for 30 days on Tidal. Just sign up and hear for yourself. If you already have Spotify: so much the better. Do a side by side A-B test for yourself.
Vinyl is its own special case. I brought back vinyl in to my library after a long absence. Did I do it because it sounds better? No. I like the experience of viinyl. I also enjoy teaching my grandchildren about audio and the lessons around the turntable are awesome.
Music is subjective ? You bet. The listening experience is subjective. Its one of the reasons charlatans love our hobby.
