One thing you have to realize is, a true Audiophile is so by choice, and he enjoys being an audiophile. His amazing ability to discern minute differences in components that cannot even be measured by any method now known to man pleases him. His quest for audio nirvana is, in his view, a noble one, a worthy if nearly unachievable cause. He must, therefore, be dismissive of science to at least some extent, as being inadequate in its ability to describe the effects components (and that includes wire, connectors, physical mounts, etc.) have on the resulting audio quality.
All of that makes him happy, partly because he feels he is a member of the elite, partly because he has become self-agrandized in his quest and listening abilities, and partly because he can perceive things other mortals cannot.
To those not sharing the calling, all of that rolled together might seem to paint the picture of an elitist jerk. But perhaps the balanced view is, he's just another guy striving for happiness in a world that tends to pull in the other direction.
Is the Audiophile any different from the collector? Regardless of what he collects, cars, coins, art, baseball cards, he's striving for a degree of "perfection" in his collection, he's a member of the elite, and his knowledge supersedes that of his constituents, at least in his area of expertise.
I advance that we let the Audiophile, Collector, and all other potentially obsessive compulsives have their day in the sun. We aren't here to withdraw happiness from our fellow man, even if we don't find our own moves in the same direction. And yes, even if what he believes is total horse hockey. He's not hurting anyone, with the possible exception of himself, with his beliefs. There actually are bigger fish to fry.
I'd rather smile from a distance than actively try to discredit every mythological belief a rabid audiophile may have. Or, even better, show him something that really does make a difference. Add that bit of acoustic fuzz to kill an early reflection. Nudge his listening chair to the real dead center. Calibrate his turntable. Then, share a favorite recording.
In the end, Blue Smoke or not, it's about enjoying the sound. And enjoying good sound should make us all happy.
