Two quick points(less than 1000 words) about the "better thing",and live music exposure..."my take only"(God how I like how that gets me off the hook).
Firstly,there can be a real benefit to hearing superior equipment,even if one is not planning to make a major purchase.Here,the "active" and "thinking" hobbyist has the oppurtunity to realize that "part" of the superior performance may be achieved with a bit more attention to some parameters our own system might be able to pull off.Like a bit more tweakery,or something as simple as better tubes,or those cute(and effective )HiFi Tuning fuses.Even attention to clean connections,or resonance control etc,etc, obviously can move us up the ladder.I've surprised myself many times(even if looking in a mirror-:)
You DO have to really know your set-up,and be a hands on guy!Also,make the attempt to hear alot of stuff.
The other point,where I am at odds with the "must hear real/live music regularly" camp is....You only have to know what live music sounds like!!...You will do far better,IMO,if you expose yourself to the "best systems"!
Here,the "obvious weaknesses" in our own set-ups more easily stands out,because we just KNOW that live music is not going to be easily reproduced in our lifetimes,with a stereo system!!To hear a "better system" though,and if you are a good and open minded listener(not a rationalizer, where you believe that everything you have is the best,anyway...I've got friends like "this"),AND willing to actually "think through" some of the perceptions of the "why" it sounds better,you stand a real chance to improve your current set-up...Whew,I think that was a run on sentence.
Hearing my friend Sid's suped up Air Tangent rig started me on this route,as I ultimately became acutely aware that the little annoyances that peeved me,in my own rig,was "groove" related."That" was the exact moment(a few years ago)when I rolled up my sleeves,on my old Graham 2.2 and learned it's hidden secrets.Quite a few,actually!Like this thing is a pain in the ass to voice perfectly,but it was so much fun "learning"!
Best.
Firstly,there can be a real benefit to hearing superior equipment,even if one is not planning to make a major purchase.Here,the "active" and "thinking" hobbyist has the oppurtunity to realize that "part" of the superior performance may be achieved with a bit more attention to some parameters our own system might be able to pull off.Like a bit more tweakery,or something as simple as better tubes,or those cute(and effective )HiFi Tuning fuses.Even attention to clean connections,or resonance control etc,etc, obviously can move us up the ladder.I've surprised myself many times(even if looking in a mirror-:)
You DO have to really know your set-up,and be a hands on guy!Also,make the attempt to hear alot of stuff.
The other point,where I am at odds with the "must hear real/live music regularly" camp is....You only have to know what live music sounds like!!...You will do far better,IMO,if you expose yourself to the "best systems"!
Here,the "obvious weaknesses" in our own set-ups more easily stands out,because we just KNOW that live music is not going to be easily reproduced in our lifetimes,with a stereo system!!To hear a "better system" though,and if you are a good and open minded listener(not a rationalizer, where you believe that everything you have is the best,anyway...I've got friends like "this"),AND willing to actually "think through" some of the perceptions of the "why" it sounds better,you stand a real chance to improve your current set-up...Whew,I think that was a run on sentence.
Hearing my friend Sid's suped up Air Tangent rig started me on this route,as I ultimately became acutely aware that the little annoyances that peeved me,in my own rig,was "groove" related."That" was the exact moment(a few years ago)when I rolled up my sleeves,on my old Graham 2.2 and learned it's hidden secrets.Quite a few,actually!Like this thing is a pain in the ass to voice perfectly,but it was so much fun "learning"!
Best.