Well this link will start many arguments!

Well if nothing else following those recommendations will likely save one a lot of money and great results still very possible if done wisely.  So there is that. Not trivial by any stretch! Some vendors here among us will surely object however. Surely some hardcore non vendor types as well. 

Love the old Python sketch. 

It's pretty obvious by the responses which people are the "I know what I hear" sect. Little Mikey Fremer once called objective, rational people, "science based know-nothings". Seems rather like a religion...

The article is correct about everything, IMHO. Placebo effect, habituation, and Concorde fallacy all apply. Nothing wrong with spending money on what makes you happy, but in the case of audio, couch time with a shrink may be cheaper for once.

Just to be clear, I have tried cables, never heard a difference. I prefer vinyl, but mainly for the artwork and nostalgia. I have a class A amp, but for the particular implementation (Pass) rather than for being class A. I have a $5K ladder DAC, but it is not clearly "better" than a $250 Δ𝚺. 

MQA, cable lifters, burn in, outlets: LOL!

@roadcykler "...Seems rather like a religion..."

Not at all. The issue is that characterizing reproduced sound is so incredibly complex with so many variables, that folks in this pursuit that think they are being science based by measuring a few variables are grossly oversimplifying the problem then drawing conclusions. In very complex environments, observation (as in listening and hearing) is the correct scientific mode until all the variables are understood and a complete and verified model is created (there is not, and this is super computer terrain. Not identifying a few variables and using them to explain or predict the entire system. Musical reproduction and sonic characterization is just way too complex with too many variables for that to be a pragmatic value. Listening and training your ears, calibrating your ears to natural sound and using those as your instruments is what is useful and appropriate. 

Just a note, this is not creating a simple tone at a certain frequency. It is nearly infinite variation in tones and beats where different frequencies interact through harmonics. It is very nearly infinitely complex.