Well said, you write well.
The irony is those who profess science are usually the ones without any formal education in science, and attempt to "inform" those of us with science degrees how it all works, because they have "all the answers".
There are millions of music fans such as the OP who have overcome their pre-conceived barriers and experimented, perhaps using guidance from experienced audiophiles, then using common sense arrived a reasonable understanding of how different cables affect the sound of their system, and as a result enjoy their music even more. ie: they became audiophiles. I am also one of them.
And then there are the hardened ones who refuse to wander beyond their belief system for fear of falling off the edge of the planet.