I don’t think we’re necessarily as far apart as you think (indeed
@tuga and I are in very different places on the subjectivist-objectivist spectrum). I often try stuff and then sometimes try to work out how it can make the difference I hear. I don’t always insist on logic or “evidence” before I even try stuff. I have my limits as we all do of course.
I also try stuff, for example I have a ferrite bead in my (Lindy) USB cable, a Y-USB adapter which decouples the 5V from the computer/bridge and allows you to inject power from a 'quiet' PSU if your DAC needs it for the handshake, a network bridge, a 'quiet' LPSU for the network bridge, a switch between router and the rest of the digital playback system. I've owned single-drive speakers, Tripath and op-amp amplifiers, NOS Redbook, I've even tried acoustic crosstalk cancellation as below
But I like to keep things rational, apply logic (as much as possible), improve what matters in ways which can be improved.
I don't try stuff just for the sake of it, and I only replace audio equipment when I know what I wan't to improve and have reasonable rounds to believe that the replacement is an improvement.