Moved from chatbox:

After having a mini-meet this evening w/ the Auralic Vega, AGD M7, Berkeley DAC2, Luxman D06, PWD mk2, and a Russian integrated DAC/Stat amp I run across this post: http://www.head-fi.org/t/689783/december-2013-mid-level-dac-comparison/750#post_10112395 .  It's of equal measure of laughability and sadness that this individual cannot face the fact that due to his inexperience and inadequate headphone and amp selection lead to a group classification such as 'indistiguishable'.

It is my experience over many years of music listening in audiophile and professional contexts, that it is entirely related to hours of critical listening experience, and not at all related to inadequate equipment.

I'd be willing to bet that the First Violin of any major metropolis' Orchestra, armed with a Magni and Senn HD201, can detect more real differences than any 20 year old head-fi member with a Cavalli and HD-800s.

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There is a massive blind spot at head-fi regarding the necessity of critical listening experience.  This is partially because the vast majority of head-fi members have none and do not even understand what that is.   Certainly the admins do not want to "diss" their membership by informing them that they are currently totally unqualified to make any audio buying decision.  (In fact that would be the opposite of the premise of the site.)

But imagine giving people these choices:

A) Undergoing surgery by one of the world's most experienced team of surgeons using 1958 equipment, OR

B) Undergoing surgery by med school students who have never done surgery, using 2013 equipment.

and:

A) Being defended by a 5 foot 6 inch 100 pound guy who was MMA world champion in his weight class, OR

B) Being defended by a 6 foot 4 inch 300 poung guy who has never had a day of fight training.

In both cases, everyone would choose A).   But several posts could not convince a wealthy upper-middle-class head-fi and audio newbie that experience had anything to do with it (" I can hear just as much as anyone. ")