Hi Guys,
More power to y'all. I'm not preaching, honestly... Please keep doing what you're doing!!
My subtle sound quality perception may not be as refined as some of you, although folks say that I do have a very musical ear (nothing I did to earn it)...
My approach to audio is quite simple:
1. It needs to sound really good to me. I know when it does and when it doesn't, and why.
2. It needs to make sense in the context of our discretionary funds and other hobbies and pastimes.
3. If an improvement is not patently and immediately obvious to my ears, or the upfront technical rationale not convincing to my mind (e.g., how exactly digital bits get changed and how exactly it affects the sound), I conduct a controlled, fully blind evaluation, such as in this case. This requires a trusted and audio-interested helper -- a spouse, a friend etc. You'd be surprised by some of the results of true blind evaluations. I certainly was in a few instances.
4. If I feel that I need improvement in a certain aspect of sound, I apply the Pareto approach: What is the single element which is likely to provide the most improvement at a reasonable cost. If that does not bring about all the desired improvement, what is the next one, etc.
5. I don't pay for what I don't hear, however sexy the story or the equipment.
6. I appreciate that in theory there may be 20 very subtle improvements coming from 20 different areas, of which each one alone I cannot detect, but when combined together vs. the starting point I would hear improvement. I guess that would be my loss, as I am not hardcore enough to chase them all on the premise that maybe at the end I will reap the rewards...
Cheers!