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Critical listening and altered states

Ok, this is not a question about relaxing, but about listening to evaluate how the system (or a piece of gear is sounding).

What, in your experience, are the pluses and minuses of altering your state of mind for listening? This can include anything you've used to affect your everyday state of mind, from coffee, beer, scotch, tobacco, to much stronger — and psychoactive, dissociative — additives.

What do you gain by altering your consciousness in terms of what you notice, attend to, linger on, etc?
What causes more details to emerge?
What allows you to stick with a thread or, alternately, make new connections?

Or perhaps you like to keep all those things *out* of your listening; if that's you, please say a bit about why.

hilde45

Showing 1 response by oregon

oregon
831 posts
 
Mike Lavigne, thanks for your thoughtful response. This is what makes audio so much fun.  Music lovers like us, and lucky enough to have a decent playback  system, seek out this knowledge from those who have been there, done that.  Great topic.  Personally, I don’t “enjoy “ critical listening. It’s just one of those things, skills,  we need for evaluation. Some folks have the golden ears and some don’t, it seems.  So all your suggestions are indeed, helpful!
 I love my system, room…and I really enjoy having my Audiofoo friends over for a long evening of good tunes, refreshments and whatever enhances the experience. FYI, last night I played The Pusher, by Steppenwolf, as a warning to all my crazy friends.  
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