Nearly every person I encounter that isn't familiar with high-end audio tells me the same thing. "I could never tell good sound from bad sound. I don't have golden ears."
Where does that notion and term "golden ears" come from?
Did Consumer Reports use this term as a thinly disguised criticism of Audiophiles? Stereo Review? Popular Science? The New York Times? All of them? It seems so universal that people have this idea and I am curious as to how it started, where did it get its roots?
Of course it's not true. Over the over 40 years I've been playing with audio I have never found anyone that didn't quickly pickup on subtle differences when played back on a good system. And they all seem surprised that they hear a difference.
I don't know where or how it started but it's certainly one of the most prolific myths around. Someone did a good job for this to become this widespread.
