Look, here's the deal; on so many of these "tweaks" there's no way to do a true A/B comparison. With the copper coupler, at least you can instantaneously compare between - the coupler installed, or uninstalled, by sliding it on or off during the same song (even the same passage in the song - hell, even within the same extended note), same settings, etc. Other tweaks (e.g.: isolation, power cords, this-that-and the other), cannot be compared in a true A/B demo, making memory the only method of determining all of those “huge/noticeable/plain-as –the-nose-on-your-face/night-day” differences. Installing different speakers in a system can make dramatic changes – changes that are clearly discernable via memory alone. If, say…let’s pick on isolation feet, these things make the kind of improvements that are clearly discernable via memory alone, then why even bother replacing the actual equipment. I have no doubt that people truly think they can remember hearing difference in these tweaks, and for those who actually do hear the differences, I really think our country, in this time of uncertainty, could utilize the services of people with such extraordinary skills and abilities….
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?
Am I alone in my frustration here?
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- 127 posts total
- 127 posts total