It is because you have aluminum ears:-)
I do believe that the ML stylus is better than the Shibata which is easier to make. I would stick with it.
That is exceedingly true and may be the reason for "break in" in some instances. The person is accommodating to the sound, the new normal. Most people do not measure their systems and have no idea what their systems are doing. I have seen some pretty awful normalcy in very expensive systems.