I remember my first encounter with a "tweak" -- this was almost 20 years ago, and it was before I got into audio. My friend moved his system (DQ10's and Krell amp)from the long wall to the short wall and it sounded significantly better. So I knew that the room and placement matters a lot. Then as I began my journey, I moved into higher quality components and cables, and each time I went to a higher level, the sound improved. Luckily, I didn't start with any pre-conceived notions about the types of tweaks that wouldn't work.
I understand the naysayers. It's no different fundamentally than someone who cracks jokes about the salad eaters, but know deep inside that their own high sodium, high sugar, and high fat diet is the inferior one.