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

This has been an interesting exchange. Thanks to everyone who made the effort to constructively contribute. I'll share just one story to the mix, for whatever it may be worth.

My listening partner of 30 years is my spouse. We regularly listen to music together and we jointly listen to changes we make in our system to cross-check what we each think we may be hearing. We're both intimately familiar with the sound of our system. Over the years, we've come to a simple process that has worked for us for assessing changes:

1) Listen carefully to the current set-up on complex orchestral music.

2) Introduce the change, allowing appropriate time for break in, settling, warm-up or whatever may be needed.

3) Listen carefully again to the same music without comment.

4) Separately write down what differences, if any, we each heard.

5) Share what we separately wrote, then discuss.

6) Undo/Remove the change, re-listen and re-discuss what we hear.

Invariably, we hear the same things and invariably every change makes some difference -- occasionally very minimal, occasionally very significant. We may describe them differently, but the discussion allows us to resolve the difference in descriptive language. When we both separately describe the same sonic changes following the introduction of the change (whether component or tweak), we're pretty well satsified that what we're hearing is real.

Then it's another question to decide: Is the change for the better? Is it worth the cost? When my spouse announces that something we've tried is not leaving the house, I know for sure we have a winner! And, of course, many times the impact of any tweak is highly system and room dependent -- we've experienced that as many others have already described.

Regards,

My sound awareness has improved as my systems has become more resolving providing more information to make judgements with. My system's resolution allows me to hear small tweaks some I like some I don't but there is no denying that changes are made. There are many many many more resolving systems then mine and I can only imagine what can be heard on those systems!!!

Ahh...very good. I was afraid this thread had withered on the vine, but since there is still a sign of life, I will inject some more hooey…There is definitely something to be said regarding someone’s ability, or inability to hear well – or discern details. It is also a fact that there will always be systems that are more revealing than others.

As I have stated, I can clearly discern good soundstage, image, clarity, transparency, timbre and even decay, and I can discern and appreciate changes in the aforementioned. For most audiophiles, the formula for attaining these physical characteristics - to an obvious degree, is to replace gear or do modifications to the gear (proper setup and room treatments are also big factors). Then, there are cables, tubes, power tweaks, etc. that make audible improvements, but to a lesser degree than upgrading the gear. Then there is the fine-tuning that may involve a myriad of tweaks and products; and it is very difficult for me to believe that placing something-anything under a component or placing a shield of some sort over an IEC... can make the kinds of differences that have been described. We’re talking about improvements in the soundstage that are clearly discernable for crying out loud, or that improvement in transparency are quite obvious.

Look, human beings are human beings; sure, there are those who hear better than others, but what’s more likely – be honest, that a very real and scientific phenomenon known as “the power of persuasion” (placebo effect if you will) is occurring, or that there is the phenomenon of extraordinary human achievement occurring!?

I know I’m pi@#%$! some of you off. Don’t take it personally – I don’t.

Its all relative.

Lets assume any system change is a tweak, some are big, some are small, some are minuscule, some are in between.

My first big tweak is moving from a transistor radio to a nicely matched $3000 component system with very well reviewed monitor speakers, amp, etc.

If you are hearing impaired, you might not hear a difference even with this major "tweak".

Most of us will fall in between this degree of hearing ability and that of the very best, say that rabbit in the old Doctor Suess story "The Big Brag" who could hear an insect sneeze or something along those lines miles away.

Where you fall in between in regards to hearing ability in conjunction with how much you care and the relative significance of any particular tweak will determine whether you might actually hear a difference with that particular tweak.

BTW my dog probably hears better than me and he seems to enjoy listening to my system so that makes me feel better.

Also none of us can see into the Infrared or ultraviolet EM bands either. Too bad as those could be a really useful ability!