But here you're trying to make exactly the same point with different language: that your perception is correct and the guy that wants the PiO caps' perception is wrong. Whether a beginner or a rock star, every player gets to decide for themselves what makes a difference for them. You can dismiss it as snake oil, and argue that because you feel there is a tangible difference in what you choose to accept over what someone else does your opinion is the correct one, but it is still your opinion and everone else is entitled to experiment and decide for themselves what works/doesn't and what they can themselves hear/feel. There are a lot of very good, very experienced players that swear those PiO caps make a huge and discernible difference in tone...you have to consider the possibility that they are right and you are wrong because that possibility does exist.
I believe you are reading way too much into this, my good and studious Man.
I don't think i am right, nor wrong. Scientifically, there cannot be any discernible difference in caps of identical value and this has been proven in numerous YouTube videos.
But, musicians are industry-trained to believe that they can hear the difference in everything, and that's the product of decades of marketing strategies, and its a multi-million dollar industry.
Yes, people/musicians have a right to believe whatever they want, but if you ask me what i think, i will probably share that information with you and it might not be something you agree with.
I am not doing quite as much guitar tech work as i used to, but probably 90% of it falls into the unnecessary or the diminishing returns catergory. But, i am pleased to tell you that i still do the work and i still charge for it, but i don't preach the common bull

"narrative of agreement" with these perspectives based on abstract sciences or industry-spawned beliefs that you see and read about all the time.
I'm not like the Guitar Sinner employee who just agrees with anything and everything a potential consumer says, just to make a sale. I wont allow myself to be placed into that catergory, although blindly agreeing with people seems to earn you lots of friends these days.
I know that i am likely one of your lesst favorite members herein, but you might recall that i went down the Rabbit Hole of swapping out poly covered wire for cloth covered, PIO for Tropical Fish, bone nuts for brass and all other sorts of experiments - at considerable expense - then did 'A'/'B' recordings and had a half dozen of my studio work colleagues listen and comment on their thoughts.
In the end, i probably wasted over $2,000 on these experiments and ended up giving complete project guitars away or donating them to the music a academy, just to make room in my home studio.
And based on those experiences, i do not feel that sharing my opinion is wrong, even if it conflicts with socially acceptably norms based on skillful marketing strategies.
I see your point that people's wishes and opinions should be respected. I get that. But, at the same time, i feel an obligation to a music student - or a client - to be the voice of reason when discussing any investment in their equipment, especially when they expect a "night-and-day difference" when switching from a ceramic dis .047uf to a PIO .047uf.
Don't you think that's reasonable???