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It's All in Your Head

I commented in an earlier thread that the emphasis on components, cables and room treatments obscures the fact that the music all happens in your head.

This is from John Atkinson at RMAF 2012 reported on Stereophile:

"Stereophile editor John Atkinson used everything from a drumstick to a cowbell, both sounded “live” and played back on the seminar room’s stereo system, to convey the message: “Nothing is real. How the recording art affects what you think you hear!” As John proceeded to point out that the brain combines information from separate left and right loudspeakers into a single stereo image..."

"I showed that it is a fallacy to assume that “the absolute sound of live music in a real acoustic space” resides in the bits, pits, or grooves, even when such a live event existed. Making recordings is an art, not a science and there may only be a coincidental resemblance between what is presented to the listener and the sound of musicians playing live, even when all concerned with making the recording were trying to be as honest as possible. Even the fundamental decision of what microphone to use moves the recorded sound a long way from reality..."

What we aim for when we put an audio system together is a pleasing facsimile of the original musical performance that happened in a studio or at a live venue. But, ultimately, the music's all in your head. It sounds like it's in the room because that's the way our brain makes it seem. Music is essentially a spiritual experience mediated by the brain.
Systems that are not in the "best" category may reproduce music in a way that moves us but the "best" systems have the ability to involve us on even deeper emotional and spiritual levels.

Getting really close to the essence of the performance means we need "special" gear. That's what "gear chasing" is all about -- trying to get closer to the essence of the performance on deeper and more satisfying levels. "Gear chasing" that involves trying to reproduce the actual performance is an illusory pursuit. Many audiophiles have observed that the "best" systems are not necessarily the most expensive ones. This has also been my experience. But it will still take quite a bit of cash to put together a system that enters the realm of the "best".

All of the above is IMO, of course.
sabai
sabai OP
2,027 posts
 
Mechans,
The spiritual experience is that music touches the spirit -- evoking "the gamut of human emotion", as you have observed.

Nonoise,
When I use the word "spiritual" it is in the wider context, of course, having nothing to do with ritual.

Jeffreybehr,
I agree with you that "both highly elevated emotion AND gear-chasing, for instance, are essential for the BEST-sounding recordings."

Rpfef,
I agree. You can be deeply touched my music that is reproduced on a car radio. My transistor radio used to do the trick for me. But turning on the transistor radio does not cut the mustard anymore when I'm at home in the evening relaxing in my easy chair. We have come too far -- and there is no going back.
orpheus10
8,668 posts
 
I've known a number of professional Jazz and Blues musicians, none of which had an "audiophile" system. John Lee Hooker could certainly afford one before he died. However, I've been told that Classical musicians have audiophile systems; you can make whatever you like out of that.

Personally, I've discovered it's either in, or out of my wallet, meaning; "The good stuff costs".
jndean
132 posts
 
A quote from NRCHY 04-02-2005 from this forum,
"Perfect sound is not attainable. Many have written long posts on whether live music is a good objective standard. In my opinion it is not.
The only time a system will sound great is when the owner/listener has determined to be content. The concept of contenment is a little esoteric or nebulous to many people.Contentment is a choice and not the result of a great system. People may choose an ideal they can never obtain while ignoring contentment which everyone can possess.
The same concept also applies to many facets of life...choosing an ideal not obtainable while ignoring contentment."
Music can touch our hearts/souls/emotional centers whether it be from a live performance or car stereo or bad radio or good/great system. The system needs to be good enough to remove the distractions of the sound such as thumpy bass or bright treble and allow the music to touch the heart. After that, its about the law of diminishing returns... and determining to be content.
John
csontos
1,311 posts
 
You're right, Chayro. It was the Twilight Zone. I never did watch The Outer Limits. You've got a good memory!
mechans
3,048 posts
 
Does any of this pontification matter. In the end we will most likely continue to chase the perfect system. If we could be content like most of the country does with car radios and earphones, we would do the same
I lived with a Musician and entertained her musician friends and none except my EX was listening to anything worth mentioning I found this strange, of all people to essentially abandon fine music reproduction. So I asked why, and they said that they did indeed hear the fuller symphony concerto etc, in their heads. I can not do that they started their careers when their brains were still developing. If I here a piece that sounds crappy I know it and it annoys the crap out of me.

*( my living room system Jadis DA-60, MMF5, a Refurbished Sherwood tuner,a Sansui AU7 tuner Conconance CD120 linear CDP. VSA VR2s various cables)
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