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How much reality do you really need?

The real question to the audiophile  is, “how much reality do you need” to enjoy your system? Does it have to be close to an exact match?  How close before your satisfied?  Pursuing that ideal seems to be the ultimate goal of the audiophile.
The element of your imagination has to come into the equation, or you’ll drive yourself mad.  You have to fill in part of the experience with your mind.
But this explains the phenomenon of “upgraditis.”
rvpiano

Showing 3 responses by twoleftears

twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,320 posts
 
I have one requirement: If it’s on the recording, I want to hear it. Without exaggeration or distortion. Simple.

If a recording needs a playback system in order for you to hear it, and every system is different, how do you *really* ever known what’s on the recording?

I know it's not strictly analogous, but this kind of reminds me of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,320 posts
 
@mijostyn  Your post presupposes that reality exists autonomously, independent of everyone's apprehension of it.  I'll leave that one to @hilde45 to resolve.

But in the case of recorded music, we're talking about three discrete realities: the music that was made and recorded; the recording (tape, digital file, whatever); and the actualization of the recording in the home environment.  How can the reality be the same for everyone?
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,320 posts
 
Epistemology 101: the coffee table may be a figment of my imagination, or it may be a bunch of subatomic particles or even electromagnetic waves, but it sure hurts when I knock my shin against it.
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