It would help matters along Hugh if you expressed your own opinon on the subject :)
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Further to the trained ear comment - Ortofon use an independent "Golden Ears" panel that gives a subjective opinion on each type of cartridge produced, quite separate from the in-house evaluation. I was reading an article where Ortofon were saying they had to train each member of the panel and re-calibrate their hearing, as to what good sound was. As most had been subjected to poor sound, through effects/compression/ear buds etc for so long, they had forgotten what real music sounded like, so had false/poor references as a base line. Basically what they were getting at was, if you listen to one kind of sound, good or bad, for long enough, it becomes your reference to compare things against and anything different can be perceived as wrong or lacking.
It's been a great thread this, enjoyed it, lots of good ideas and points of view expressed.
I have been a Food Technologist working for some of the top multinationals for many years and most of them have trained food panels who work in their sensory departments.
They take food or product tasting very seriously and its not down to a decision of whether someone likes the taste of something or not. The panelists will be trained for months to assess the key attributes of flavour and develop terminology to describe them. The sensory analysis is complex and very detailed which produces results that can let food or flavour companies develop products to a precise flavour or consistency they are looking for.
I am sure if this level of analysis was applied to high fidelity equipment in both its development or assessment by the purchaser it would negate some of the purely subjective opinions and base audio listening experience as an objective discipline.
Trouble with that is, are the panellists the folk that will be eating it? Chances are. NO
You wouldn't be any chance have input as to what bulking agents, flavour enhancers, synthetic flavourings, binding agents, cheap fats, emulsifiers, dairy substitutes, anti-oxidants, preservatives, etc, that manufacturers can get away with using without cocking up the flavour of food too much? :)