@agrippa, "For maybe the first 10-15 years of my audiophile "career" I heard differences between anything and everything. Cable lifters, signal cables, speaker cables, power cables, isolation devices, that green CD pen, you name it. I heard the differences at shop demos, at my friends’ places and at home.
Then real stuff happened and I lost interest in HiFi completely for a couple of years or so. When I came back I heard none, or almost none, of it. Not, I hasten to add, because I’d lost my hearing in the meantime. It is and has always been excellent. I have no problem picking up and pointing out slight nuances between cartridges, tone arms, CD players, amplifiers and whatever else which *ought* to sound different - but all that other stuff all sound the same or make no difference whatsoever.
I’ve given this quite some thought and the one change from before to after that I can point to as an explanation is that I no longer give a s**t. I no longer want, need or expect things to sound different and so, apparently, many of them don’t.
That’s my personal experience anyway. Take it as you will."
Portrait of the Audiophile as a Young Man?
Many poignant and wise words here
"Then the "real stuff" happens."
"an explanation is that I no longer give a s**t"
"I no longer want, need or expect things to sound different and so, apparently, many of them don’t."
Trust me, you're not the only one who feels this way.
Great post, I'll take it with thanks.
Then real stuff happened and I lost interest in HiFi completely for a couple of years or so. When I came back I heard none, or almost none, of it. Not, I hasten to add, because I’d lost my hearing in the meantime. It is and has always been excellent. I have no problem picking up and pointing out slight nuances between cartridges, tone arms, CD players, amplifiers and whatever else which *ought* to sound different - but all that other stuff all sound the same or make no difference whatsoever.
I’ve given this quite some thought and the one change from before to after that I can point to as an explanation is that I no longer give a s**t. I no longer want, need or expect things to sound different and so, apparently, many of them don’t.
That’s my personal experience anyway. Take it as you will."
Portrait of the Audiophile as a Young Man?
Many poignant and wise words here
"Then the "real stuff" happens."
"an explanation is that I no longer give a s**t"
"I no longer want, need or expect things to sound different and so, apparently, many of them don’t."
Trust me, you're not the only one who feels this way.
Great post, I'll take it with thanks.