Is This the Essence of "The Audiophile Dilemma?

@mijostyn Thanks. You state, "Many concerts have terrible sound quality. You have to pick your venues for the best sound."

That's exactly right. What is constantly misunderstood in this hobby is the notion of "truth" or, if you prefer, "real." @mahler123 says, ""Therefore since there is no way of getting “The Truth” I have to settle for an illusion of it."

That statement indicates that what he is settling for just IS reality. There is no reality/illusion dichotomy. There is experience and then the question returns to us, "Is this something I like?" There is no metaphysical issue between reality and illusion. It's all real.

If I am sitting in a practice room an a cellist is playing, where should I sit for the "true" sound? Right next to her? Behind her? 10 feet away? What if I'm 100 feet away? One might say that all these sounds are "true" because I am in the room with her. But if I'm 100 feet away and the room acoustics are poor, how will that match up to my sitting in my listening room, 8 feet away from a stereo playing a recording of her that sounds delightful? Won't that sound more "true"? But, someone will say, it's not "live" any more. Fair enough, but if the criteria is "acoustical enjoyment" and not "simultaneity with the event of her playing" then "truth" is different.

If the above made sense, it should be clear that "truth" depends on the "criterion." But for audiophiles, there is often NO dilemma because the criterion is pre-determined to be subjective musical enjoyment.

Being able to verbalize in musical terms helps with reviews. I'd recommend a copy of the' Harvard Dictionary of Music'. I bought my equipment via a combination of listening to pieces at a reputable dealer and by reading reviews via the internet. I've called dealers and have asked them questions about products while explaining what I have and what I'm looking for. Tweaks can also tune a system and I've found a couple of tweaks that made a day and night difference.

I know there are people who want scientific data, meter readings, etc... I don't dismiss that for people who can make good decisions by analyzing numbers and charts but that's not me.

Fortunately I live in a city with a top rated conservatory and a venerated concert hall. Our symphony orchestra is pretty good. The experience of hearing music in a live venue is certainly an advantage and a bit of common sense can go a long way.

@mijostyn , @hilde45 ​​@goofyfoot 

Thank you gentlemen for your worthy posts.

@ps ,

I am glad you spoke with Johnny. He knows his stuff.

I often recommend him, but few often follow up. And, though you can take or discard his recommendations, I think it is wise to solicit opinions of those who are more experienced.

B

@gdnrbob 

Yes, sir.  Johnny gave me some excellent advice.  Thank you both. 

And happy listening to all.