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Are We Hard-Wired To Prefer The Audio Components We Do?

Posted by thetubeguy1954 (A) on April 25, 2007 at 07:44:37

I recently perused through a very interesting study from the annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. I don't have access to the complete article, hence my perusal. This investigation and study was performed the following scientists/professionals:

PETER SCHNEIDER (Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany)

VANESSA SLUMING (School of Health Sciences, Division of Medical Imaging, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom & Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Centre (MARIARC), University of Liverpool, United Kingdom)

NEIL ROBERTS (Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Centre (MARIARC), University of Liverpool, United Kingdom)

STEFAN BLEECK (dInstitute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, United Kingdom)

ANDRÉ RUPP (Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany)
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This study was conducted to determine how the way we as individuals listen to the musical pitch of harmonic complex sounds, such as instrumental sounds. Which is perceived primarily by decoding either: A) The fundamental pitch (keynote) or B) The spectral aspects of the stimuli, for example, single harmonics, effects our preferences for certain musical instruments and types of music. The scientists divided the 334 professional musicians, including symphony orchestra musicians, 75 amateur musicians, and the 54 nonmusicians, into either fundamental pitch listeners or spectral pitch listeners.

The scientists observed a strong correlation between pitch perception preference and asymmetry of brain structure and function in the pitch-sensitive lateral areas of Heschl's gyrus (HG), irrespective of musical ability. In particular, fundamental pitch listeners exhibited both larger gray matter volume measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and enhanced P50m activity measured using magnetoencephalography (MEG) in the left lateral HG, which is sensitive to rapid temporal processing. Their chosen instruments were percussive or high-pitched instruments that produce short, sharp, or impulsive tones (e.g., drums, guitar, piano, trumpet, or flute).

By contrast, spectral pitch listeners exhibited a dominant right lateral HG, which is known to be sensitive to slower temporal and spectral processing. Their chosen instruments were lower-pitched melodic instruments that produce rather sustained tones with characteristic changes in timbre (e.g., bassoon, saxophone, french horn, violoncello, or organ). Singers also belonged to the spectral pitch listeners. Furthermore, the absolute size of the neural HG substrate depended strongly on musical ability. Overall, it is likely that both magnitude and asymmetry of lateral HG, and the related perceptual mode, may have an impact on preference for particular musical instruments and on musical performance.
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Granted this is just one study and it wasn't a study about audiophiles. Still I believe this study could possibly be quite useful for lending us as audiophiles/music lovers some valuable insight into why we hear & listen for what we hear and why we prefer the type audio components we do. Knowledge and truth are our most valuable resources into understanding why some of us prefer solid state over tubes, LP's over D's and many other topics we all argue about everyday here on PHP. Perhaps a greater understanding on whether we as subjectivist & objectivist audiophiles/music lovers are listening, unconsciously I'm presuming as I don't have access to the complete article, primarily for either the fundamental pitch (keynote) or the spectral aspects of the stimuli (music in this case) would go a long way into resolving many of the differences here. After all "if" this study is correct and we now are beginning to realize that we're all are hard-wired to listen a particular way, i.e fundamental pitch or spectral aspects of the stimuli, as well the added knowledge that both our individul magnitude and asymmetry of lateral HG, and the related perceptual mode, MAY have an impact on our preference for particular musical instruments and on musical performance. Then it begins to verge on lunacy to argue with someone who's hard-wired to listen differently and for different things than you do. Furthermore it COULD be the very fact that the person is hard-wired to listen the way they do that led them to prefer and purchase the audio components they did. IMO if this study is true and this is what leads people to prefer one instrument over another and one type of music over another, then I believe it's also possible that this could also be responsible for what leads one to prefer one type of audio component over another! Why do I believe this? Because I believe it POSSIBLE that one audio component might be more adept replicating the fundamental pitch (keynote) while another audio component might be more adept at replicating the spectral aspects of the stimuli (music in this case) which according to the study effects our preferences for certain musical instruments and types of music. As always I'm sure others will have a different opinion than mine. I'd be very interested in reading what others make of this study and what their opinions on how it might possibly effect us as audiophiles/music lovers is.

Thetubeguy1954

• http://www.annalsnyas.org/cgi/content/abstract/1060/1/387   (Open in New Window)

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