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Hear hear!

64.13.14.96

In Reply to: RE: All science is based on observations. posted by Norm on April 17, 2010 at 07:26:07

"If you hear a difference, enjoy it"

For that matter if you DON'T hear a difference, enjoy it because it's one less thing to worry about! Considering the large variations in our systems, environments and ears I simply don't understand people getting uptight because they do or don't hear an affect from a change. And the next level of insanity is getting upset because someone else disagrees with your results or beliefs. Beyond simply hearing is the issue of whether you LIKE a change that you hear. Many changes are compromises of some sort so it's not black & white.

My view is that home audio systems are out of control as are their users. And I mean that in the nicest, most scientific way! The performance and interface aspects of our gear are insufficiently controlled to guarantee predictable results for even a single users. Most of the time, most of the stuff is OK for most of the people, and even for audiophiles. But the latter may wish further optimization. Unless it actually hurts my ears or offends, and many things do, then I can enjoy the music. The biggest, clearest, most important thing anyone needs to learn is to trust their ears. And it can take a long time, many mistakes and lot's of money to really learn that lesson. I think reading AA can reduce the risk and increase the enjoyment, I wish it had been around forty years ago.

"these guys do not know everything and you do not have to accept their limited understanding of what is going on."

Too true! Most of the 'scientific experts' have zero experience working with low level systems or EMI. Anyone whose ever done so knows that there are enough variables to choke a horse.

Regards, Rick

Follow Ups:

RE: Hear hear! - unclestu 18:05:35 04/18/10 (0)
Music is many things to many people. My old girlfriend used to say that since she can understand the words being sung, she didn't need anything more. A later friend who did some belly dancing would key on the rhythmic quality of the music particularly the percussive beats. A friend who professionally plays the flute is particularly sensitive to the upper midrange where the notes of his chosen instrument lie, quite different from another friend who plays the tuba ( professionally).
Instrumentalists tend to listen to finer nuances of tonal structure, noting the breath control, articulation and such which most listeners would not even be aware of. After all what audiophile can say he or she can hear Guaneri or even a student model violin? Such differences, overall, may be quite small, but their owners while say quite significant. Still it take often years of training to be able to hear those nuances. You can enjoy the written piece without the subtle nuances a talented performer with a great instrument can create. Being able to hear those nuances often enhances that performance however. That is the difference, in my listening, between the playing of a virtuoso and a backyard musician.
When I listen to my system I want to be able to distinguish the playing of a virtuoso and to be able top hear the subtleties which make him regarded as a virtuoso. If such differences are unimportant to you that's fine. You can get great music at a significant discount and you need not go beyond your local pool of musicians to enjoy all sorts of music.
Great music, however, is a matter of subtlety. It transcends the mere soloist. Ensembles show greater depth when they play with precision and intonation. Music is one field where the sum of the soloists can often greater than the individual parts ( consider overtones, for example)
Yeah, Muzak has its place in a waiting room, but in my listening room I want the maximum my gear can allow.
And then consider: you seriously believe that the megabuck Krell or Levinson, or DCS are NOT using mundane transistors and chips that even some entry level electronics use?

Stu

Edits: 04/21/10

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