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I Just Don't Hear It - I wish I did

I am frustrated because I am an audiophile who cannot discern details from so many of the methods praised by other audiophiles. I joke about not having golden ears. That said, I can easily discern and appreciate good soundstage, image, balance, tone, timbre, transparency and even the synergy of a system. I am however unable to hear the improvements that result from, say a piece of Teflon tape or a $5.00 item from the plumbing aisle at Home Depot. Furthermore, I think it is grossly unfair that I must pay in multiples of one hundred, or even one thousand just to gain relatively slight improvements in transparency, detail, timbre soundstage, etc., when other audiophiles can gain the same level of details from a ten dollar tweak. In an effort to sooth my frustration, I tell myself that my fellow audiophiles are experiencing a placebo effect of some sort. Does anyone else struggle to hear….no wait; does anyone else struggle to comprehend how someone else can hear the perceived benefits gained by the inclusion of any number of highly touted tweaks/gimmicks (brass screws, copper couplers, Teflon tape, maple hardwood, racquet balls, etc.) I mean, the claims are that these methods actually result in improved soundstage, image, detail (“blacker backgrounds”), clarity, bass definition, etc.
Am I alone in my frustration here?
2chnlben
mumbles
83 posts
 
Does anyone else struggle to hear….no wait; does anyone else struggle to comprehend how someone else can hear the perceived benefits gained by the inclusion of any number of highly touted tweaks
2chnlben (System | Threads | Answers)

I have 3 highend, silver PCs made for me by Mel at Crystal Clear Audio Cables. Great guy, solid product. They were all supposed to be 1.5m long, but I had him make two of them shorter, 1m. Over the last three days I have swapped them around and find the 1.5m powerchord makes which ever component it is in sound much better. Finally left it in the preamp for maximum effect, tuner ect., now sound better.
Ive read here that 1.5m length is ideal for power band, so maybe there is a reason for my perception.
Point is if you mess around enough with tweaking here and there you may eventually get a ah-ha moment, and set a new baseline for tuning.
To use Tvad's analogy, once you driven a Ferrari you know what good is suppose to be.
tholt
551 posts
 
05-24-09: Jimjoyce25
Marigo Mystery Feet provided an immediate, highly significant and positive audible difference in my system.

At $799 for 3, they'd better.
jimjoyce25
215 posts
 
And they do. And money-back if they don't work in your system.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,363 posts
 
"And money-back if they don't work in your system."

That would make a big difference to me to even consider an expensive tweak.

You need only resolve an issue once, like dirty power, poor matching ICs, etc. So a tweak that adds value in one system may not in another. I would drop that kind of money on anything that is not a sure bet. I might shop for it used though, then if it doesn't work out I can sell hopefully without taking a loss and another can try.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
In the case of your example with the copper coupler, I hear no difference. But I have dc charged cables. Certainly the are other examples of tweaks giving very modest or no improvements and even ones that at first I think are improvements only to change my mind. That is all part of the quest. I have tried other tweaks that give great improvements in some instances and great harm in others. An example of this is the Acoustic Revive QR-8 little quartz points.

Your own ears will have to be the judge. As the old warning goes YMMV.
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