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The need for variety and endless search for new details

Humans often crave variety. In our plays, books, hair cuts and even cooking. Reliable is good but there are usually some areas where we simply don’t want the same thing every time. The same dish at the same restaurant every day would sadden most of us. The same hair cut every time for many leaves us depressed. We don’t feel the same excitement the second or third time we leave the salon.

The problem comes in the illusion of new details I often read about audiophile writers chasing, especially in speakers, combining with our desire to hear more and more.

IMHO there are good and bad ways to create more detail. Bad way are to use uneven frequency responses which tickle our ears differently than whatever we were last listening to. "I’m hearing things I’ve never heard before!" is a key phrase. The problem is that it’s not really better, it’s just different. It’s a game of rock,paper, scissors played with large, heavy and expensive objects with explanations easily found in ragged mid and treble responses.

Legitimate ways of creating more detail IMHO are to improve room acoustics and or tailor dispersion to control reflections. This includes horns, planar speakers and wide-baffle speakers (Snell A/III, SF Stradivari, etc.), line sources, D’Appolito configurations, open baffle designs, etc.

I’m not against tone or loudness controls, at all. I’m concerned about fellow enthusiasts chasing an illusory "better" without fully understanding what they are looking for. For some of us, maybe we are better off with multiple amps and speakers we can cycle through rather than replace in order to find long lasting happiness.

erik_squires
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,308 posts
 

I keep thinking having 20/20 vision would be better but now I’m starting to wonder. All that detail could be distracting.  🥸

jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
4,147 posts
 

I have chase details sound thru components , and silver cables, speakers. Detail sounding is good if it’s balance and it goes with the music.One time I have system with amazing detail but works only on strings, once I played jazz it will drive me crazy. 

stuartk
2,886 posts
 

@mashif 

Another perspective is that "variety" = "novelty" and it applies to music and gear

Yes; This is exactly what I was referring to.  I guess it's a matter of finding a balance. I do continue to search out and discover new music I like, which could be seen as an expression of a desire for novelty. On the other hand, that same desire has, at times, caused me to dismiss what I've already heard in order to chase after "something better".  

I've never had tons of cash for chasing audio gear and my room is definitely less than optimal. My focus is, what's "good enough". 

cdc
1,800 posts
 

I’m concerned about fellow enthusiasts chasing an illusory "better" without fully understanding what they are looking for.

Science doesn’t have to be the enemy. Technical CAN be our friend, haha.

Cdc’s observation of audio:

"While differences can often be heard quickly, preferences can take a lot longer.

 

What gets me are $30,000+ speakers than can’t get even the basics like flat F-R right. I do not think they are doing it on purpose. More like they are not able. I see that way too often. And with super expensive speakers, really is no excuse for that.

As I have related before my diabolical experience with EQ. Once I had that power, I couldn’t listen without the compulsive need to EQ each album or even each song.

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