You don't see the car equivalent of a directional Monster cable, or a wool USB cable with the +5V wire removed or an, ehhh, claimed EM field absorber box with an outlandish pseudoscientific explanation.
There are countless television programs that are little more than adverts for whatever "project" they are building that week - intake manifolds, headers, camshafts - all of which wonks are encouraged to apply to their vehicles willy nilly in order to extract more performance from them. How many teens have spent the weekend under their new ride ripping out exhaust bits, unhooking engine mounts and forcing bits around to fit a new pair of headers believing their buying extra performance? Often this venture costs performance and simply results in a loud, annoying car with ground clearance problems. Same can be said of carburetors and such. If applied correctly these things may improve performance, but few of these shows delve into their correct application - they simply focus on labels and brands. And let's not even get into the cow magnets, 30" rims and "deer whistles."
I guess the main point is can listeners repeatably pass a blind test, if the cables are similarly specc'ed in normal electrical terms. ie Length, resistance, vaguely similar impedance at a normal cable length and nominal 8 ohm speakers?
Like the way the teenager "evaluates" his new header install through the seat of his pants? Few have the gear to accurately measure even 0-60 times... it's just get in, start it up and see if it "feels different." Well, of course it does - you've thrown away 10ft/lb of low end torque and increased the wot spl by 30db... of course it "feels different."
But what really strikes a chord with me is the argument you've repeated which basically reduces to "it's all subjective". It's all about the experience.
Tell that to the teenager.
Yep, it's all about the experience. It's all subjective. If I want to DIY a tube amplifier that distills amplification down to its four part essence (valve, output transformer, bias resistor and input coupling transformer) and I believe it sounds good, then that is the end of it. If you disagree with my evaluation, then bully for you - you're free to pursue your own audio nirvana - or just to be happy with your sound card and logitech "home theater" setup. No skin off my nose, and none off yours either.
It seems your problem is with the way the press treats much of this stuff. Well, the press can choose to debunk it but what do they gain? One more advertiser is out the door, meanwhile this other magazine will gladly cater to that market. And most of the journalists probably really do believe this stuff - which, frankly, I find a lot more honest than the car performance shows where the "dialog" sounds like it was written by marketing droids. Well, I have a problem with the press too - that's why I don't bother myself with them. These last few days I've read more of that crap than I had in the last decade, and I really don't care to go on.
Some of you seem to think I am defending the snake oil - I'm not. I'm simply saying it's unfair to brand everything as snake oil simply because it's more expensive than you find "morally justifiable." I'm not down with the money either - if you read that last link you'll see pretty much where I am: build it. There is much more happiness to be gained from building your own rig than from spending thousands on someone elses mojo... just ask the teen who spent the weekend busting his knuckles to install those headers.