Try to recreate the experience, not the sound.
I remember the first time hearing a super high-end audio set-up and being totally floored at what it sounded like. That was about just 5 years ago. I've gone through several decent systems since then, but none costing as much as that first system I heard. Well, I can now more than afford that "dream" system and went to a dealer to listen to a VERY similar system, same speakers and front-end, similar amp and preamp. I expected to be floored and was ready to buy if I was. Well, I wasn't floored. I could hear all the things wrong with it. My ears have gotten better trained, I've heard better systems and I now realize that that set up wasn't so great, but it was still better than anything that I had heard up to that initial listening 5 years ago.
When I hear people say that component XX they had 15 years ago sounded better than anything available today, I take great pause. I suspect tha it was the experience of hearing someting great back then that made it great. This experience included both acoustical and emotional aspects.
E.g. I've demo'd eqpt while on vaction (or on Caffiene), that never sounds as good while not in such a relaxed (or hyper) state. The audiophiles goal should be to recreate the experience of being blown away by the music each time you push the all those toggle switches.
I remember the first time hearing a super high-end audio set-up and being totally floored at what it sounded like. That was about just 5 years ago. I've gone through several decent systems since then, but none costing as much as that first system I heard. Well, I can now more than afford that "dream" system and went to a dealer to listen to a VERY similar system, same speakers and front-end, similar amp and preamp. I expected to be floored and was ready to buy if I was. Well, I wasn't floored. I could hear all the things wrong with it. My ears have gotten better trained, I've heard better systems and I now realize that that set up wasn't so great, but it was still better than anything that I had heard up to that initial listening 5 years ago.
When I hear people say that component XX they had 15 years ago sounded better than anything available today, I take great pause. I suspect tha it was the experience of hearing someting great back then that made it great. This experience included both acoustical and emotional aspects.
E.g. I've demo'd eqpt while on vaction (or on Caffiene), that never sounds as good while not in such a relaxed (or hyper) state. The audiophiles goal should be to recreate the experience of being blown away by the music each time you push the all those toggle switches.