Some weeks ago, I read a post in another audio forum that tried to explain that somehow the search for good sound is a spiritual journey.
It mad me think and I wonder, are we just searching for good sound? maybe that good sound is opening some windows or gates in us?
What lies at the essence of what experience when when our system sounds great?
what effect does that produces in us? is it just mere pleasure? is there something more to it? when we feel transported by the sound of a melody do we transcend the ordinary?
Your boat comment put a smile on my face. I have friends in the boat business. I have a buddy whose family owns a Chris Craft boat repair business. I remember one of his hobbies was restoring an ol' Chris Craft.
I think he was the first one that told me -- "The 2 best days in a boat owner's life are, they day they buy the boat and the day they sell the boat."
Being a one time boat owner, I learned that the one thing better than owning a boat is having a friend who owns a boat. I had a buddy once who had a fantastic stereo. After about 2 hours of listening, he walked me to the door. I think the boat thing works out better.
Well, yes i have those moments mostly with jazz, acoustic stuff, classical and a few rock bands. In my particular case, some of them are: Grateful Dead, CSNY, King Crimson, Mike Oldfield.
Exactly Electroslacker that is what I feel "but the moment when it all disappears seems spiritual."
But is also true that sometimes you catch yourselves having those moments with one of your audiophiles friends stereo.
I do not know why but we some of us, audiophiles, always end up comparing systems instead of just enjoying. Not all for sure.
And after the comparing merry go round, we do not enjoy music as before but we get stuck in the sound analisis "paranois". At least, that was my case some years go.
I would say that for me it has been. I'd also say that it didn't start out that way. Initially, I just wanted to create a home entertainment system for the lowest price. Initially.
Eventually, my perspective changed and assembling the system and experiencing the system became more spiritual. Also more calming. Kinda reminds me of those Japanese banzai plants where the owner spends years pruning and trimming, etc. the banzai tree. Little by little.
And, it might be safe to say that I might not listen to my system as much as the typical 'Gon person. But when I do, I usually enjoy it. It's a bit spiritual, or meditative and calming for me.
In fact. At times when life gets unusually stressful for me, I'll hear a voice telling me, "...you need to listen to some music." Or, "...you need to watch a movie for awhile."
Why Elizabeth, I think you've stumbled onto something without intending to. :-)
fetish: 1) an inanimate object worshiped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered inhabited by a spirit. 2) a course of action to which one has an excessive and irrational commitment. 3) a form of sexual desire in which gratification is linked to an abnormal degree to a particular object, item of clothing, part of the body, etc.
Its origin comes from the old West African use of an amulet or charm.
I can see where any audiophile can or will fall into the first two descriptions and worry of any who would fall into the third. It just may account for the angst shown here.
If you believe the journey is to arrive in the moment, without ego, and connected to something outside yourself, then yes, music over some systems can take you there. But possessions would work against reaching that state, and I just realized I've mainly had those moments listening to someone else stuff, and not my own possessions, which are often extensions of ego. God knows (slang-speaking) that audiophilia has lusting for stuff as a cornerstone of the faith, but the moment when it all disappears seems spiritual.
I believe all people are spiritual and that we're all on a spiritual path whether we know it or not.
Any time I'm able to have those moments when I can let go of all my worries and thoughts and just be in the moment- is so precious.
There's times when I'm listening to music and I feel so lost in the music that I can feel the emotions of what the music is expressing. That is when my stereo is most satisfying for me.
The hobby itself is nothing more than that, a hobby. However, as one furthers themselves in it, beliefs take on a dogmatic vein that borders on religion. One need look no further than here to realize just how we corrupt the spiritual nature that one can achieve in this hobby in order to give meaning and validity to our beliefs, debates, and rants.
And I mean that in a good way as it's just our nature to do things this way. :-)
Indirectly perhaps. The relationship between music and spirituality is undeniable. The ability to connect with music more and/or better probably has spiritual benefit.
i think the search for "good" sound is an expression of the need for achievement. it's just another hobby and one tries to demonstrate competence and success by attaining the pinnacle of the goal of the hobby.
however, since good sound is subjective, it is only applicable to the owner of a stereo system.
No, the journey is grounded in physics, nothing spiritual about it. Now what's in your mind is another matter. Notwithstanding we have been assured that their will be music in the hereafter. Enjoy the music.
Do you have an affiliation with audio related manufacturers or mags? The only epiphanies I've experienced so far is the moment I recognize my wife has had just about as much as she's willing to tolerate. That's when I quietly make extraneous gear disappear out of the living room:)
Lol, but still, somehow, i believe that the search for good sound has something spiritual. Maybe it is related to what we feel when we listen to our stereos...
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