Right on baclagg! Too many here are caught up in the neurotic pursuit of "perfection" and miss the enjoyment of music's flow. They worry too much! That's no way to live!
The Forest for the Trees
I caught myself last night doing something that I need to do more. I was listening to the music. I wasn’t concerned with imaging, sound stage, tonal quality, wasn’t even thinking about it. I was listening to the music. It engaged me, I was lost in it. But then, I caught myself and started thinking about why it engaged me. It sounded awesome because all of the qualities listed above were there. I need to remind myself to enjoy this hobby more for the music than the pursuit of perfection. It feels good when it happens and you don’t even know it is happening.
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Yes, if it is something I would play again. I have lots of Oscar Peterson most terrific recordings, imaging ... Recent purchase, the mix was WEIRD. Piano, some frequencies from left, suddenly other frequencies right, sometimes centered. Drummer left, except, during drum solo they moved the drummer to center, except kick drum stayed left. I decided to go sit in the far corner, avoid being aware of the strangeness, man those cat’s can play, other than the strange imaging, the sound levels were very well done. I’ll never part with it. Other LP’s, if not special sounding, I could listen to the few songs I like on Pandora and sell the LP, primarily to make room for others. I just listed 7 lp’s like that on eBay yesterday. I’m cleaning and Donna and I are listening to over 2,500 lps now. https://www.ebay.com/sch/uncle.wins.music-1/m.html?item=133394789907&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562 |
Wrong forum for actually enjoying music. This place is for obsession, specification driven tail chasing with cables, gadgets and MKIII cryo'd cheese. Enjoy the music https://www.etsy.com/listing/471910072/vintage-panasonic-8-track-player?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=anchored_listing |
I was listening to the music. I wasn’t concerned with imaging, sound stage, tonal quality, wasn’t even thinking about it. I was listening to the music. It engaged me, I was lost in it. But then, I caught myself and started thinking about why it engaged me. Its called audiophilia nervosa. Its a thing. We start out wanting a better system to enjoy listening to music even more. Well, some of us. There's a bunch who seem to never have cared about anything but tech. They can go do their thing. I'm not talking about them. So we go looking for better sound and maybe its so the guitar sounds better, and maybe its electric guitar, maybe its acoustic. Maybe its the tambourine. Maybe its all of it. One thing leads to another and we're listening and comparing every little detail. A lot of the crap we were fed turns out to be BS, it really does sound better one way than another, and next thing you know you're never really happy until that one certain record late at night when everything's just right. Maybe not even then. I went through it. Got to where I would call and make an appointment to audition an amp, tell the guy leave it on over night, or it'll be cold, don't want to hear no cold amp, then get there and of course he's just turning it on... argh! Only this time its a McCormack DNA1 and once it does warm up it has me toe tapping and forgetting my auditory checklist and that's when I know this is the one. I actually had to stop and give it a break for a while. Well it had gotten to the point I was hearing the difference between brass, stainless steel and mild steel studs used to hold the Cones to the speaker. Right. Let that one sink in. The good news, once you're aware of this, you can if you want learn to turn it off. Not perfectly. The mind does tend to wander, and you never can quite be sure to where. But more than enough to enjoy the music. More than ever. |
Yes, this hobby is or should be about the music. When I was a kid in junior high, I used to listen to my little tube radio under the covers at night so I wouldn’t disturb the rest of the family. I especially loved the Rythem and Blues station that originated from a record store in South Central Los Angeles. I just couldn’t believe that Earl Bostic’s tenor sax, or that Dinah Washington’s version of "Blue Gardenia" could move me the way they did. Almost seven decades later, and an audio system that tops a hundred grand, I’m still that kid listening to his little tube radio, albeit, a LOT closer to the music than ever before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcxBLiKpRm0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDlLINKIEo0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y10TqeFBMU0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmBxVfQTuvI And she lives on in this old soul: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSfgCIGd7k4 Frank |
Millercarbon, I read a post on here today from yesterday I believe, that had you describing your experience listening to Run Like Hell. It’s those experiences that make this hobby worth it. For sure. Totally. One night I put on Jennifer Warnes The Well, only its the 45 not the 33. The 45 has extra songs which sometimes come at the end but on The Well they mixed them in only I wasn't paying attention didn't notice and so La Luna Brilla was a total surprise. I'm one of these guys who hardly ever likes a song the first time he hears it. Could probably count on my fingers the times that's happened. Skateaway, Devil Inside, Bird on a Wire, The Well, not a lot more. La Luna Brilla isn't even in English. Donde estas, estrallita? She sings. Where are you, my little star? I had to look it up. The words, I mean. The emotion, the beauty that summons the tears, that never did need any translation. I just realized that is three Jennifer Warnes songs on my very short list of songs I fell in love with on one listen. |
Sure it’s about the music, but it’s also trying to get the best sound while you listen to music. It’s nice when you get a new component or do some tuning/tweaking and then you start hearing something in the recording that you never hear before. If it wasn’t to get the best sound for your budget, then get an iPhone and a pair of AirPods if you just want to listen to music. |
One thing I enjoy more than anything else. I’m working on something, it’s not going quit to plan, and in the background that perfect song comes up, on the MC, or a playlist, or in my head.. Go over listen for a minute, put the song on you were thinking about, and... It’s all better. Thing go better with music and dancing...... Cha Cha Cha!!!, I don’t care, I like it... Regards |
I read these posts more for amusement these days since I’m so pleased with my system. Gloat. It’s wonderful to reach a point where I can listen to tunes until 2 am without fatigue. It’s partially a mind set. I could upgrade here and there but I find it annoying. No plans to upgrade. Just want to listen and enjoy. |
I can manage mediocre music (for at least a little while) if the reproduction is good enough and if the music is good enough I can stand a pretty terrible recording, but when it's a great recording of great music I'm on top of the world. I gotta say, too, that there's plenty of stuff out there that does ring both bells. It's what powers my love of this hobby/obsession. I never get tired of it. I never burn out. |
Like edcyn said, there's something about certain recordings, call it clarity, that really grabs my attention and takes a song to a different level. To me, it sounds like you could hear a pin drop in the recording studio. These recordings share instrument separation and zero muddiness or thudding base line. A few examples: Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd Rhythm of the Rain - Dan Fogelberg How Do I Live - LeAnn Rimes I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt Ride Like the Wind - Christopher Cross (listen to the clarity in the backing vocals by Michael McDonald) Ribbon in the Sky - Stevie Wonder Yes, several of these are very mellow piano based love songs which likely leads to clarity in the recordings, but the vocals are also extremely clear and unprocessed. For me, that "clarity" takes these songs to a different level and it's easy to get lost in them. |
O M G............. Damn...I've lived long enough to witness Clarity smite the 'Audiophiles'. Y'all been cooped up long enough to get bored enough to 'zone out' and actually enjoy your stack o'stuff... ...without excessing over 'what doesn't seem Right'.... Whatever you're drinking/smoking/ingesting, or creating this level of existential ennui...keep it up. 👍👌😉 |
I like this thread - I do like listening to music and one of my drivers for investing money is because I listen to music loud. (I really was a field artillery officer). Some things such as bi-wiring, balanced inputs and optical vs digital coaxial insights and encouragement for testing has been really useful. Some descriptions of sound have gone over my head - yet I can appreciate the folks who want more watts or monoblock amps! |
The problem is, the quest for perfect sound Is so voracious that it devours any enjoyment of music. After you’ve reached a point where you can enjoy music on your system, no more tweaks are necessary. Any further improvements are superfluous. The problem Is, if Hifi is your hobby you want to actively involve yourself in it. You can’t sit back and leave it alone. If you stop twiddling with it, it ceases to be an active hobby. That’s where the contradiction is. The enjoyment of music ceases to be the goal. The “hobby” predominates. If you can listen for the music, everything falls into place. The work you’ve done assembling your system has paid off and you can revel in how beautiful the music is. But, your hobby is over. |
When I was a kid in the late 60’s all my music came thru a hand held transistor radio. Even then I connected emotionally with certain top 100 AM radio station hits. occasionally I would hear someone else’s radio and recognized it sounded better. 10 years later when I got an all in one Lloyd’s stereo. At first the majestic richness of instruments (doobie bros “listen to the music”) so satisfied me, like instantly feeling that I got my money’s worth and music will never sound the same. and then I heard some of the older songs I only knew from my transistor radio days. First time hearing them in stereo instead of mono. the songs sounded wierd, off ( Turtles “happy together”). It felt sacrilegious like somebody changed the trumpet player, things that weren’t there before. In a frenzy I tried listening to more and more older songs as I was amazed that certain Beatles songs had all vocals on the left channel only. in life you only get one chance to make a first impression. There is no amount of money I can throw at my system to recapture the magic of being young to get those same emotions. So I find that I am enjoying new emotions. now when I listen to the Turtles, I marvel at how they captured a magnificent sound in the 60’s and how well produced their recordings are. if you want to see a funny video, check out YouTube of Flo and Eddie describing how they were cheated by all their agents and are still in debt. Charts and all. |
@slaw: "I don’t go to his house and complain." That brings to mind the best putdown I’ve ever heard. Led Zeppelin were on a U.S. tour in the 70’s, and attended a party in L.A. with their manager Peter Grant. When they arrived they saw Bob Dylan---whom they had yet to meet---across the room. Being as big of fans of his as are all of we, they were too intimidated to approach him. So they sent Grant, known for being an aggressive, brutish, obnoxious a-hole, over to initiate contact. Grant went over to Dylan and said: "Bob, I’m Led Zeppelin’s manager, and". Dylan cut him off, saying "Hey, I don’t come to your house and tell you MY problems." |
rvpiano1,296 posts05-01-2020 9:09am "The problem is, the quest for perfect sound Is so voracious that it devours any enjoyment of music...." Been there, done that on more than one occasion. |
slaw9,705 posts05-03-2020 8:09pm"Nothing wrong at all with improving one’s system. I assume @rvpiano has an issue. That doesn't make his issue, anyone elses issue." Nothing wrong with improving one's system and I see nothing wrong with what rvpiano posted. What's the problem? |
Perhaps for someone suffering from 'audiophile angst', a common disease around here I think, is simply to have three libraries, one for near SOTA recordings, one for near SOTA performances, and a third one, much much smaller, for SOTA recording/engineering and SOTA performances combined. For those with a large library of 'ordinary' recordings (a fourth category) they could simply just have a forgiving front end with no pretention to SOTA, or an equalizer which everyone knows cannot be SOTA, and just play them for their musical content. This filing method would help you to easily select a recording that would meet your extant expectations. An aside. I used to be an analogue nut with some pretty good stuff but once I got all of the great stuff and pinned down soundstaging (ala Pearson) when ever I put on a good record all I could hear (forgive the hyperbole) was the 'great audio'. I gave away my audio accouterments and records and dumbed down (relatively speaking) to digital which can't sound good anyhow (as we all know) and I'm happy as a pig wallowing in the mud. Hang in there, you'll find a way to enjoy it. I did! :-) |
Another thought about 'audiophile angst' brought on by attempting to obtain maximum imaging as heard from the apex of a triangulated set up. How would true omni speakers work out? I've never tried due to the expense involved (amp/speakers) and the fact that I've bought into the former set up, but I've always wondered. |
I go in phases. Sometimes I get excited about trying different things, room treatments, crossover settings, various components, etc. I usually get on these kicks because I read something about lateral reflections or speaker directivity or whatever and want to hear it for myself. Once my curiosity is satisfied, I lose interest in the equipment and get back to enjoying music. |