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How do you know what you're missing?

Without listening to better systems than your own, how do you go about targeting what to improve? How do you know what is possible? It's a case of you don't know what you don't know. I get that indistinguishable from live is the definition of high fidelity, but I don't see that as a realistic aspiration without a dedicated built to spec room and a few orders of magnitude more expensive gear.

Reading reviews or forums can't possibly educate as well as demonstration. "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture," applies to the hardware as well as the media. I've isolated myself for many years prior to current circumstances. I can't remember the last time I actually went and listened to someone else's system. For that matter it's been years since I heard live music, too. (I don't count serenading the cat at home.)

Is it a case of you'll know it when you see it? Is this not a common problem? Or do you just not know it is a problem?
cat_doorman
sgordon1
425 posts
 
How can you make your system sound like
someone else's system?  Get creative, change things around!

Experiment with changing speaker, listening position.
Experiement with different isolation devices.
Change the furniture and wall coverings in your room.
No need for expensive purchases!

One of two things will happen, with each change. 
Either the sound will improve or get worse.  If you pay attention to
what you are hearing, and really listen critically, there
may be a lot to be learned.  Try a favorite piece of recorded music,
that you know very well.

Adopt a creative, inquisitve spirit, and be open to new exxperiences.

dweller's avatar
dweller
3,781 posts
 
Q: " Without listening to better systems than your own, how do you go about targeting what to improve?"
A: Listen to live, unamplified music. H.P. Called it "The Absolute Sound".
limomangus's avatar
limomangus
1,426 posts
 
Even the deaf  feel vibrations.....
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
Life music would be the best, except it depends on acoustics on the venue - from good to very bad.  What about Rock?  Most of concerts I attended had horrible acoustics.  The best seats in Symphony Orchestra are sold only to subscription, while affordable seats are often very bad.

When I had inexpensive receiver and speakers I had to use tone controls often and even with adjustments some CDs sounded horrible.  With better gear I don't have and don't need tone controls.  Most of music sounds good.  It is perhaps because my previous gear had poor frequency response, resonances, distortions etc.
Often cheap boomboxes have equalizers, not only for marketing, but also because they really need it.  So, to me better gear is the one that makes more CDs (or LPs) sound good.  Of course some music has exceptional and some has average recording, but correlation exists, IMO.
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