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Question on hearing

Apologies in advance for rambling, but this is something that has been in the back of my mind for years.

When I was a teen growing up in the 70's, I listened with a basic Kenwood receiver, a Thorens turntable, and either Advent or Bozak speakers, all inherited from relatives. Speaker cables and cables were basic Radioshack. What I remember is having intense, hair-raising moments of connection to music, especially in response to fine textural and harmonic details.

Nowadays, I have what I consider to be a reference-level system with a mixture of tube and solid-state electronics, digital and analog sources, and a treated listening room.  I've achieved what I consider to be reference-level sound. Listening is truly enjoyable for me these days, but those special moments of physical and emotional connection to musical moments are much rarer than in the old, old days. Part of this is no doubt a result of mildly diminished high frequency hearing, but I suspect that other factors are at play. I was just wondering if others have anything to say about this? 
psag
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,229 posts
 
Raging hormones!  Everything is more intense when you're a teenager.
lloydc's avatar
lloydc
751 posts
 

and you were hearing great new music.  Not such a thrill to hear Stairway to Heaven or whatever for the ten thousandth time.  The present hardly compares to rock in the 60's to early 70's. 

I doubt that age related hearing loss is much of a factor.

tooblue
1,930 posts
 
I believe that we all need to remember that it is all about the music and that the system we use is just a tool to get us there, like you the quality of my system is at it's highest level ever but I do not find that I listen more because of the better equipment or enjoy the music more because of it. I also believe that their are really some great and gifted New artist out there that rival and in a lot of ways surpass our old idol's that we have grown up with since our youth.
erik_squires
16,126 posts
 
I find the matching of music to the system is very different. There are a number of recordings I can enjoy in the car I can’t listen to at home. :)

Especially music from the 80’s and 90’s.

Notable exceptions are Pink Floyd.

I think this has a lot to do with the consumer equipment engineers were mixing to. This has changed quite a bit.

Best,


E
jetter
3,033 posts
 

psag,

I think I understand what you are saying regarding enjoyment from your old system which is not as high tech as your system today.  I have had and heard a few systems, that even compared to your old one, would be considered totally basic, that just produced music beyond all expectations.  Of course memory can play games, and they are long gone and replaced by much more expensive gear.

For example, when I was living in Huntington Bch, CA I answered an ad from someone wanting to sell his stereo equipment. The system ended up being a non descript Sansui receiver, Cerwin Vega speakers with 12" woofers and a Denon CD player.  Truly the sound was enchanting and everyone who heard it would just out of nowhere comment on it.  Gave it away to a friend.

Another system had a set of Quadraflex speakrs.  However this particular model of Quadraflexs was voiced, it just sounded great.

Just reminiscing, thanks for this thread.


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