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An unscientific poll: How often are you happy?

What percentage of the time do you just break out in a smile and thoroughly enjoy the music *and* the sound when you fire up your system? 10%? 50%? 99%? (The other times: you hear something wrong, something lacking, needs tweaking, needs upgrading, colorations, distortions, you hear a noise, a tube might be going, not musical enough, can't suspend your disbelief the way you want to, your expectations are disappointed, it doesn't sound like you remember the dealer's system did, doesn't sound like you remember your friend's system did, you made the wrong move with the last upgrade, you doubt the money you recently spent really made a difference, the recording is too flawed, you wonder what it would sound like if you changed this or that, you enjoyed it more in the car, you question whether you've truly got your priorities in perspective, etc...) Give your %, and list the approximate $ investment you have in the system (specify new or used valuation). Mine: happy about 15% of the time, valuation around $17,000 if all bought new. Conclusions - if any - drawn later...
zaikesman
ozfly
887 posts
 
I'm having trouble taking this a step further since I'm laughing so hard, but here goes ...
Let's face it -- the electronics, mechanics and acoustics of our systems and room won't exactly reproduce the live sound for all types of recordings. With the right dosage of scotch, the imagination fills in the missing details. Detlof was kind enough to share the perfect test album. When you can hear "said wind", you've got a great system and you are still coherent enough to know it! When you can smell it, proceed to a maintenance level of drinking (or let out the dog): This will take time to achieve and I would strongly recommend meditation exercises. If you can hear it and smell it and the system isn't even on, seek help but you probably have a great artistic career ahead of you.
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Well it seems, that Zaikesman's excellent thread has given birth to a new benchmark in audiophilia, involving more sensual markers than ever before. Thanks to him and Ozfly we can now reach a level of certainty, which was quite impossible before this breakthrough. I was but the humble catalyst in this matter. DG 123456 will be much sought after from now on. Possibly they will now even bring it out on CD. Remains to be seen, if Redbook is capable of reproducing flatulent bursts really true to their very specific nature. I don't mind, if the good Scots will now collect more revenue. But I doubt that the folks at DG will use the new income to produce better sounding recordings. They'll probably spend it on more microphones and consoles to ruin the music with. Obviously they have a secret deal with Glasgow or Edinburgh. Herr Karajan was often at the festival there. Well, I'll sign off now, before I become fully paranoid. I'll rather go and see if there's still something left in the bottle. Good sniffing to you all! Detlof
bishopwill
369 posts
 
Detlof, didn't Walter Piston write a sonata for trombone and farting flautist?
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Dear Will, wouldn't know, but not be surprised at all: After all, nomen est omen, no?
(An afterthought: I feel really sorry for the unfortunate flautist, having to eat all those beans and onions with garlic before every performance and all that slavery to discipline the spincter! Just goes to show, composers can be bruthish beasts in their creative narcissism. The vita of Wagner comes to mind. Only Ludwig and Nietzsche didn't have to fart in helping to create the Gesamtkunstwerk, though in both cases those infamous flatus vocis did occur now and again.) Excuse me, must go get another bottle....Cin-cin, Detlof
nilthepill
842 posts
 
80% of the time I am happy and 20% of the time I have wondered about all the points you mention. My system could be better even after retail price worth $50000 give or take, but I am probably gonna call it a day untill some components break-down, besides law of diminishing return has already set in. In all I am very happy most of the time.
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