We understand the world not as it is, but as the story we tell ourselves about it. These stories explain to us how everything works and how we fit in.
As a kid, I believed engineers were magicians. I saw technology as immutable, fixed in truth, and people as unreliable narrators. Now, decades into designing audio gear and interacting with fellow audiophiles, I see the reverse just as often. The data may be solid, but how we interpret it—the stories we attach to that data—can vary wildly. What once was science fiction becomes common sense, and what used to be dogma becomes discredited.
I’ve often been at odds with prevailing wisdom because I speak the truth as I hear it. When I say a power cable changes the sound or that removing a preamp makes things worse, I’m not quoting specs. I’m reporting what I experience. And I understand how that upsets some folks. It’s easier to argue with numbers than with someone’s honest perception.
This gap between measurements and experience is where the conflict arises. The story I tell might not match the one someone else has chosen to believe. And that’s okay. We're all just trying to explain the world the best way we can.
Tell the truth as you know it. It’s hard to argue with someone’s authentic experience.
