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Did Amir Change Your Mind About Anything?

It’s easy to make snide remarks like “yes- I do the opposite of what he says.”  And in some respects I agree, but if you do that, this is just going to be taken down. So I’m asking a serious question. Has ASR actually changed your opinion on anything?  For me, I would say 2 things. I am a conservatory-trained musician and I do trust my ears. But ASR has reminded me to double check my opinions on a piece of gear to make sure I’m not imagining improvements. Not to get into double blind testing, but just to keep in mind that the brain can be fooled and make doubly sure that I’m hearing what I think I’m hearing. The second is power conditioning. I went from an expensive box back to my wiremold and I really don’t think I can hear a difference. I think that now that I understand the engineering behind AC use in an audio component, I am not convinced that power conditioning affects the component output. I think. 
So please resist the urge to pile on. I think this could be a worthwhile discussion if that’s possible anymore. I hope it is. 

chayro

Showing 2 responses by kahlenz

kahlenz's avatar
kahlenz
263 posts
 

This is the most absurd discussion I have ever read on Audiogon (and there have been plenty of contenders).  I understand the fascination with measurements, but I can't objectify my enjoyment of music. I like listening to different musical presentations (both live and reproduced), and I enjoy learning about different products, venues, performers, etc., but I can't say I consistantly enjoy one experience over the other – I guess it feels different depending on my mood.

For the record, I enjoy my wind-up Victrola as much as my hi-fi that plugs into the wall.

kahlenz's avatar
kahlenz
263 posts
 

When I play an acoustic instrument (guitar, for example), I hear it a certain way:  I am holding it, my ears are above and behind the soundboard, vibrations are being transferred to my body, etc.  I am not hearing it as the audience does.  I do have considerable control of what the audience hears, but it is inconvenient and disorienting trying to hear what I sound like through monitors while performing.  I am more relaxed and musically lucid if I don't obsess over what I must be sounding like and just play for my own sensory satisfaction, trusting that my presentation is set up competently.  I am seeking emotional connection, not audio perfection.

Perhaps this could help explain why musicians generally are not audiophiles.  As a musician, I have an adequate hifi.  I have heard more startling and revealing systems, but after the novelty wears off I end up allowing myself to be engaged in the program (lyrics, melody, harmonic content and rhythm).  If the hifi is too good, I find it harder to subject myself to the emotional content and end up just admiring the equipment.

The discussions on ASR are interesting, but the objective testing has little to do with how I select components or listen to music.  What I look for is a general level of excitement in a review, or a suggestion of possible synergy with equipment I already own.  That may provoke me to find out more about a component.  So, yes, ASR has been valuable to me – if not "changing" my mind certainly expanding my mind with new considerations and possibilities.

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