2. misc-audio
  3. 1145061424

Expectations low, listening pleasure high.

I am listening to a $300 minisystem, and am thoroughly
enjoying the experience. This is in stark contrast to my
experience with my highend stuff. Although I feel I have
the right components and synergy, I never quite feel as
though I am enjoying myself because I am either making
judgments on the sound, or because so much money was
spent I expect so much in return. Now I know that my
kilobuck system sounds better than the mini, but it makes
me wonder when this obsession with sound quality interferred
with actually listening to the performance. I figure it all
started with magazine reviews, and countless number
of components to achieve what will never be. It seems we/I
will always focus on what is not right with our systems because
nothing is perfect. And thats where I think everything went
wrong; Imagine what would happen in our day to day relationships
if we traded in our friends and spouses like we do our equipment.
I guess the enjoyment comes in the constant pushing of that boulder up the hill like Camus's Sisyphus. Anyone else experience this phenomenon?
Now back to Stan Getz on the mini.
cody

Showing 1 response by cdc

cdc
1,685 posts
 
"Now I know that my kilobuck system sounds better than the mini," Cody.
Depends on whether you listen to "sounds" or "music". Just because something sounds better doesn't mean you will enjoy the music any more.
I have found more revealing systems can be disappointing over the long run because they reveal too much - the bad as well as the good. Then I end up listening to the system and not the music. Besides, I don't expect to hear all these problems when I just spent $10,000.
Sure, an expensive system can sound glorious but I'm not about to stop listening to music I love because it's a lousy recording. Neither am I going to listen to music I hate for very long just because it's a great recording.
We tried so hard to get my girlfriend a nice stereo but even a little B&W/Rotel or Epos/Creek system easily goes for $3,000. Face it, the hi-end audio industry has the consumer by the xxxx's.
We got her an Aiwa EC-12, lacks power and is a little bright (treble tone control takes care of that) but for $79.95 new on closeout from Ebay, it gets the job done. At moderate listening levels and not counting bass, sound is not as far off from hi-end as most people are willing to believe.
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