zanash - an example of an everyday equivalent to the absurd MachinaDynamica / Intelligent Chip thing would be someone on a website selling "special magnetic slippers that interact in a new and previously undiscovered way with the earth's magnetic field to allow you to levitate and walk around in mid air".

The Machina Dynamica is equally absurd and should be dismissed out of hand in just the same way as anyone would dismiss my example "magnetic slipper" claim.  The difference is that the magnetic slipper claim can be easily put to the test in a completely objective way and the Machina Dynamica cannot.  It's sad fact that the peddlers of this kind of snake oil rely on the extreme subjectivity of hifi and the ease with which people can imagine improvements that in reality simply don't exist.  They prey on the symptoms of audiophilia nervosa.

Michael.