This thread seems like a good place to share my recent experience listening to an inferior system than I usually do and enjoying the heck out of it. I was recently tasked with doing some quick evaluation of a Denon PMA-900 HNE stereo receiver. Just as a start I hooked it up to some Sony SSCS-5 speakers I happened to have and their matching 10" subwoofer. I wasn't feeling well this weekend - a little stomach bug and I wrenched a tooth really hard - ouch! So I spent the weekend listening to this setup, playing music, watching movies, playing games. I could hear all it's limitations immediately. The Sonys were a big step down from the Revel M16s I had been using just prior, and those were a big step down to my ears from the big full range horns I'd been playing. The Sony's are not particularly realistic in tone, not very clear or extended in the bass, not loaded with sublime micro-dynamics. A little "foggy" sounding. Not goosebumps inspiring. Despite all that I came to the surprising conclusion that I very much enjoy listening to this inferior system. How can that be? It doesn't sound as good but I enjoy listening to it so much, in some ways more! I think it's partially because it disarms me. It humbly presents the sound with it's modest capabilities and I quit analyzing it, allowing me to get out of the way of myself and enjoy the music. The other thing I suspect is it just has a good balance of faults, none of which are too extreme, that make it all come together in a much more pleasing way than I would have expected. I get the feeling that a lot of content was expected to be heard on a setup like this.
un-becoming an audiophile
Yes, the title is what is sounds like.
I remember long ago, as a boy, I used to be able to enjoy music without picking apart a track. is the bass tight? is the midrange clear and life-like? is the treble resolution spot on? What about imaging/sound stage?
Most people have this very same superpower - not being an audiophile. They can play a song from the worst earbuds, laptop speakers, or even computer speakers - and enjoy the music; even sing along. They aren’t thinking about "how it sounds" or scrutinizing the audio quality. Actually, they couldn’t care less. They can spend their time on other life pursuits and don’t feel a need to invest big money (or much money at all) in the hi-fi hobby.
Any psychologists or scientists in the building? (please no Amir @amir_asr ) since you are neither! ...despite the word "science" being in your domain name - audio science review.
Please, I beg you. Help me get away from this hobby.
Imagine - being able to enjoy all of your favourite music - while still achieving that dopamine rush, along with serotonin, and even oxytocin - the bonding hormone, which can be released while listening to songs with deep emotional messages, or love songs.
We’re very much like food critics or chefs in a sense. We want the best of something (in this case, audio) I’m sure michelin star chefs face the same thing in their own right...can’t enoy or even eat the food unless it’s up to a certain standard.
When we audiophiles want to listen to music, we often play it on a resolving system, so as to partake in a a "high-end" listening experience. We often pick apart music and fault the audio components in our system, cables etc. All of this takes away from the experience of enjoying music as a form of art/entertainment. It has been said that some famous artists don’t even own a high-end audio system.
I gained a great deal of wisdom of from the documentary - Greek Audiophile. In it, we have audiophiles from all walks of life. Their families think they’re crazy for spending all this money on audio. They say it sounds "nice" or "real" but still can’t justify it.
I think it’s all in the brain. If we can reset our brains (or me at least) I can still enjoy music without needing a great system for it.
- Jack