There is an audible difference after being in a high temp high humidity environment for 5 years :)

Audible difference from an OPTICAL cable not corroding at ends? One where the gold plated parts are only the frame that holds it in the socket?

Well, there is always an ADC and amplifier stage involved, at some point you have to cross to the analog domain - and there's an absolutely wild difference between a central, decent and expensive ADC/amplifier and whatever crap ships in "active" loudspeakers that bring their own ADC/amplifier.

Ok. That's not what we're talking about here.

Have you tried not listening to music underwater??

Under boiling water. He did mention high temperatures as well as humidity, after all.