I’d like to see some double-blind tests demonstrating this. I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen any offered up to support this thesis.
This study, which has been quoted before on SDMB, showed that even soi disant audio experts can’t reliably tell the difference between a CD and a 256K mp3.
(Text in Kraut - english version here)
With that in mind, it seems even more of a stretch that the types of high-end variations described upthread would be reliably perceived.
Oh, I doubt it can be actually proven one way or another, as terms like “detail” and “ambient effect” aren’t scientifically measurable, IIRC.
I only stated that I’d read it, I don’t know if I believe it or not.
I used to sell fine wine, and anecdotally speaking, I think the differing wine glass variations are partly useful and partly for show (and extremely less durable than standard wineglasses).
They are great for swirling without spilling, I’ll give them at least that!
Read Wallenstein’s post: If the audiophiles can’t tell the difference between the stuff they tout and the stuff they deride, the reasonable explanation is that they don’t know what they’re talking about.
I suspect that it’s more accurate to say that the livelihood of professional audio types depends on people who believe their own ability is more than it really is. And it also depends on trying to keep that myth from being dispelled. The grand illusion of being able to discern fourth-order nuances is key to making people spend lots of money on gear. If certain people ever discovered that they couldn’t hear half the things the think they do, the market for multi-thousand-dollar-per-foot cables might evaporate.
It so does make a difference in the glasses you drink wine out of!!! They don’t have to be Reidel but just a good glass that you can swirl and get your nose in!
Actually, for the most part their pitch is based on getting the same wine into multiple glasses and having people taste each. For Joe Boxwine it’s usually a nice Bordeaux glass and a jelly jar, just to demonstrate the gross differences. For the more experienced wine drinker it’s going to be different types of glass and the different shapes.
I sell wine for a living these days, and have been to several Riedel tastings. I can definitely tell the difference in a big French red between a big ol’ red wine glass and a little white wine glass, just as I can differentiate between a six-dollar bottle of claret and a fifty-dollar bottle of Bordeaux.
My palate cannot determine any difference between a Syrah glass and a Bordeaux glass, or between a Pinot Noir glass and an Oregon Pinot Noir glass. But I’m prepared to accept that some people’s palates might be able to.
As for the OP, if you honestly find that offensive, you need to grow some skin. It might be factually incorrect, but offensive? Dude, seriously. A grip. Get one.
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Just be sure to wash the jelly out first, very carefully.
Folks old enough to relate to this might remember the cartoon in High Fidelity (remember High Fidelity?) with a pair of speakers in a showroom and a placard reading something like “Senior Citizen’s Special–50Hz-15kHz.”
Back to the OP, I believe the original question referred to wine in plastic cups. I really don’t like wine much in anything (boor that I am). For reasons I can’t explain, I much prefer to drink my milk out of a glass glass. With Oreos.
There is a Bourbon that I like. Smells like old model airplanes–that subtle blend of hardwood and alcohol. (Balsa is a hardwood.) Just imagine mixing Bourbon in a cocktail with a little Castor oil, nitromethane, and maybe a whiff of acetone. I’d call it a Ziac (after the modeller, not the drug).
[Seriously, kids, don’t try this recipe at home. It’s a joke.]
Much like the approach used by, say, the folks at Monster Cables then 
Boones Farm! Dixie Cups! 8-Track Tapes!
Sorry, My Inner Trailer park done run amok.