The sense of smell evokes memories, while the sense of hearing evokes emotions


MrD, you touched upon this in your recent post.
I thought it was a subject worth discussing here.
Music can move us through emotional connection, it is well known.
A question for all of you.
Does playing your music on your system increase emotional connection more than playing it through a less HiFi system? 
One aspect of audio equipment marketing is for it's technical ability to bring us closer to the music by "getting out of the way" disappearing as some reviewers say. Suppose there was a speaker or amp that excelled in providing emotional connection, but measured poorly. Would you be willing to disregard the measurements and just go with your ears or  your heart and soul? I believe that SET / horns systems are an example of this. This is not about promoting SET / horns, but just brought up as an example that some people may have already reached this conclusion. Just my thoughts, I welcome civilized and rational comments. I am open to those with a deeper understanding of this subject.
Dennis

capstan

Showing 1 response by whart

There are times when I get more involved through better sonics, but there are also times when I'm engaged thoroughly through the crappy laptop or whatever. So much depends on mood in my estimation.
In writing about Atomic Rooster's Death Walks Behind You (a great heavy rock album if you haven't heard it), I saw the connection between the senses, noting that if I were a synesthesist (one who experiences sensory phenomena through other senses, e.g. hearing music as color), the sound of Vincent Crane's organ would be the odor of overripe flowers, a morbid sound—the smell of death. 
No question music triggers emotion, and that can be without highly  fidelis reproduction.