Am I Getting Soft Here?


I’ve just been loving my stereo lately, this despite the fact everything is far from bank-breakingly expensive and is, well, at least a few years old. Right now I’m streaming CD quality music from Idagio and the sound is just glorious. Timbres are lovely. Sure, I’m listening to a modest. perhaps a ten person Baroque chamber ensemble, but there’s a convincing sense of image, dynamics and space. I’m not in the first row of the venue but I’m far from the nosebleed section or hidden in a corner. Hoping I’m not cursing things with this post!

NOLA Boxer Speakers. Primaluna Integrated amp. Cambridge Audio streamer. Interconnects, etc., at a similar quality level. But yeah, I was able to build my listening room pretty much to audiophile precepts, and everything is painstakingly positioned.

edcyn

@hilde45 

I was thinking about this and realized it's all in my brain. My ears are not improving. What gets better is my brain's ability to process the quality and characteristics of the sound. My brain compares the sound I heard before and I am hearing now and it teaches me to appreciate the differences. What sounded perfect and whole  yesterday now has little and not so little flaws, delays, noise accidents and sound bruises that we have to figure out how to correct and enhance. It's annoying and fun. The bug....  

It is what you think about your sound that matters.

Nobody else.

I was told by one visitor earlier this year that my new speakers were nothing

compared to my old ones. Stupidly I returned the trial speakers.

Long story short. After 9 months of trying speakers from Spendor, ATC, Triangle,

KEF, Philharmonic, and ten others I realized I had the best speakers

in my home to begin with. 

One comment cost me $1,000 in buying/selling fiascos. 

 

Moral of the story is-KEEP WHAT YOU LIKE !!!!

 

I tried 8 speakers in 6 months. I finally took out an old pair from my garage from 20 years ago. It sounded as good as the best new pair that I kept. It was pure magic 

This phenomenon in gear always reminds of the first album is the best album experience. Years and years to create your perfect stereo and then the rushed follow up is less than stellar. Same with first albums. Trick is to always enjoy the art of it all.

I love this thread. Back to the roots. Bigger/ more expensive isn’t better, better is better.

@edcyn Well done!!