It's all placebo effect. That James Hoffman guy is the worst. "In our taste tests..." Are your taste tests double blind? I highly doubt it.
"You gotta jiggle it three times after 36 seconds then add 13 drops of 210.3° water between the filter and the brewer. Equally spaced, of course."
The worst part is the pseudoscientific rationalization about what each step does to the final product.
"This step balances the acidity and oxygenation."