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Distance makes the heart grow fonder.

Audiophiles being audiophiles a certain amount of audio quality critique sets in from time to time when we listen to the music. This is perfectly normal considering what we are generally trying to achieve with our equipment. However if this self critique gets to be too much we can find it hard to see past that technical deficeintcies (even if they are only slight) and just enjoy the music. When this happens I find it best not to listen to my stereo for at least a week. Sometimes it's not by choice, life intervenes and I don't get around to listening for a week or so purely by accident, even if I have no gripes about the system at all.

The thing is went I come back and listen after absence of a week or more my system always sounds fantastic and every dime I've ever sunk into it seems worth while. So if your nitpicking your system to death and your not enjoying like you think you should give it a week! Just my 2 cents.
last_lemming
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tboooe's avatar
tboooe
1,009 posts
 
05-22-13: Martinmobile
One of the other things that helps with being overly critical or analytical with my system is booze! Have a few glasses of wine or a nice nip or two of scotch.

ahhh...boooze the great equalizer. I use this same strategy with women. There is nothing a six pack couldnt make better looking!
martinmobile
84 posts
 
I couldn't agree more. Must be some kind of psycho-acoustic thing going on inside our brains? One of the other things that helps with being overly critical or analytical with my system is booze! Have a few glasses of wine or a nice nip or two of scotch. It changes the way you might be feeling, brings about some relaxation. Then go give a listen to your system after midnight, or in the early a.m.
That always brings back the joy and makes me be less persnickety about having perfect sound reproduction. Johnny Walker Black Label on ice and a few Sam Adams Boston Lagers usually re-adjusts my attitude.
tboooe's avatar
tboooe
1,009 posts
 
100% agreed! In my case, I took 5 years off and just recently put together a much simpler (and less expensive) system. To me it just sounds great. Another thing I do to remind myself how good my system sounds is to listen to my "background" music systems I have throughout my house for a while before settling down for some serious personal time with my main rig.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,838 posts
 
Right there with you. There are times when I don't listen for a week (more or less) and then I come to the realization that I haven't been listening, muse over it for a minute, and then pick out an especially nice piece of music and relish it all over again.

It's like what Arnold Schwarzenneger said in one of his earlier movies (with Jeff Bridges and of the same name as the quote): "Sometimes you have to stay hungry".

All the best,
Nonoise
rrog
1,958 posts
 
Good advice. Take a break and come back with fresh ears. If it still doesn't sound right you know there is a problem.
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