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When Everything Comes Together

I enjoy listening to music on my system on a regular basis. I would say 10-15 hours a week. But, every once in a while, something is different. The sound stage is wider and deeper, the vocals are more life like and focused, the imaging is magical. I had such an experience last night. Everything I played gave me goosebumps! Pearl Jam's 10 album, The Eagles Hotel California, Metallica's Unforgiven, Enter the Sandman and Nothing Else Matters, Elton John's Tiny Dancer, Levon and Madman Across the Water and I finished up with Ozzy's No More Tears and Momma I'm Coming Home.  With each song I sat there soaking in every note. It was almost a religious experience! A lot goes into critical listening and a lot of components have to work together to get it right, including the listener being in the right frame of mind. I guess I was there last night. It was all about the music and my system completely disappeared. I love this hobby!
128x128baclagg
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,928 posts
 
I'm experiencing those "moments' all the time now after my latest acquisition (speaker cables). Everything sounds so right, all the time. 

I know it when I find myself drifting off to la la land, experiencing a kind of zen relationship with the music. With these cables, I have that experience all the time. I'm starting to drift off by the second track. 

My analytical approach is gone and it's all musical appreciation. I used to have a slight trepidation before listening and it's no longer the case. I've started to listen less than I used to as there's no more impetus to listen for faults to cure. I know it's there when I want to listen.

I've even put off getting a new integrated for awhile and could end up with what I now have until it burns out and quits on me. Yes, this hobby can be fun, especially when it all comes together.

All the best,
Nonoise
baclagg's avatar
baclagg OP
151 posts
 
@nonoise 

The pursuit of those Zen experiences is fun, actually having them is exhilarating!

mtbiker29's avatar
mtbiker29
174 posts
 
Interesting post OP.   Agreed that when I stop focusing on the minutiae (did that vocal sound harsh for a second) and let the music wash over me as one I tend to enjoy much more.  THC as an extraneous variable is obvious.  I also notice when I leave it for a week or more and come back I tend to appreciate it more.  
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Critical listening can if you are not careful develop into audiophilia nervosa, the inability to turn off the evaluator in order to relax and enjoy what you have put together. There was a phase where I was so obsessed I was changing the metal studs that connect the Cones to the speakers. Not the Cones, the metal studs inside the Cones. Called a friend up to say you know the effect demagnetizing has on CDs? Yeah. Did you notice it slowly fades away within about 8 to 10 minutes? What the..? (It does.) On and on like that.  

What's funny is around this time I was also beginning to seriously question whether it was worth making any additional improvements, as it seemed there was nothing more there in the signal to be recovered. From here on out it was bound to be ever more depressingly revealed recording flaws.  

Could laugh myself silly thinking about that. Because this was 20+ years ago, my system now is so much better it blows my mind, and far from being depressed by flaws I am continually amazed how much better everything sounds. 

There's definitely nights when the stars align, the mood and the vibe and the system and I somehow automatically know just the right one to play next. Those moments remind me of the old VISA ad: priceless. 


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