Audiophiles beware, the other senses are more connected than you think.

[Hyfi]

I heard some chatter about ambient noise in the room that prevents anyone from hearing a difference. I don't know where everyone lives, but in the winter when there is 3 feet of snow on the ground, and I turn my heater off, the only ambient noise in my room is the ticking of a clock, which is not picked up with my meter. So that one is out of here also. If the room stays the same, and the only thing that is changed is the cable, if there was ambient noise, it would be there with both cables and the difference will also be there if there is any.

[Feanor]

I heard some chatter about ambient noise in the room that prevents anyone from hearing a difference. I don't know where everyone lives, but in the winter when there is 3 feet of snow on the ground, and I turn my heater off, the only ambient noise in my room is the ticking of a clock, which is not picked up with my meter. So that one is out of here also. If the room stays the same, and the only thing that is changed is the cable, if there was ambient noise, it would be there with both cables and the difference will also be there if there is any.

I've always felt (subjectively) that the sound of one component generally doesn't mask the sound of another, e.g. though speakers typically make more difference to the sound than other components and though they usually have the higest distortion it is still possible to hear the difference of, say, amplifiers through them. Likewise ambient noise will not render differences inaudible under typical conditions.