Auditioning High End Audio Components

[Alpinist]

Do you believe that auditioning high end audio components that sound superior to your current audio components can rewire your brain to the point that it impacts future listening enjoyment of your current components?

This happened to me once with a pair of speakers I owned to the point that I had no choice but to sell them. I literally couldn’t listen to them anymore. Is this a common occurrence?

Ken

 

[audio.bill]

I think most audiophiles find it hard to go back to a component with a clearly lower level of performance than what they've heard for themselves in their system. Of course such judgements are subjective by nature and individual preferences come into play. A local dealer which loans gear to their customers for audition before purchase commonly jokes that they understand this and it's all part of their evil plan! :snicker:

 

[Alpinist]

Maybe the audiophile’s level of OCD comes into play as well!

Ken

 

[the professor]

I have had it happen but mostly not. The only time it's happened is when I didn't have a system that made me tap my toes. It did cool and neat things which is why I bought it but it didn't make me tap my toes. No music connection.

So when I listened to a cheaper but much better system (20 20 hind sight) and it made me tap my toes, I literally found I wouldn't listen to my system at all. So I changed some things and my desire came back instantly.

 

[jdandy]

Do you believe that auditioning high end audio components that sound superior to your current audio components can rewire your brain to the point that it impacts future listening enjoyment of your current components? This happened to me once with a pair of speakers I owned to the point that I had no choice but to sell them. I just couldn’t listen to them anymore. Is this a common occurrence?

Ken.......Absolutely, it is not uncommon to be influenced by a listening experience that lingers long after the music has ended. Our brains know what a true musical experience is. We try within reason and discretionary spending habits to get as close to a true musical experience with the sound systems we assemble and enjoy. None the less, when the bar gets raised in a substantial way our brain takes note, imprints the memory, and from that point on a new yardstick exists.

On the flip side of that coin, I have often auditioned other high-end sound systems that I thought sounded spectacular, then came home and rediscovered the astonishing performance my system reproduces. Again, refreshing the yardstick doesn't necessarily correlate that the system we know and love is suddenly behind the high-end performance curve. I have come home many times and rediscovered what an incredible system I have created as I'm enjoying my system. The impression of great sound can go both ways.

 

[Alpinist]

Jock and Dan,

I agree that musical engagement from the current system is a key element on whether or not you’ll continue to enjoy it. Excellent observation. In the case of my speakers that musical engagement was lacking somewhat to begin with.

Ken

 

[Ctsooner]

Heck, I always want to know what sounds best. It's all about a systems synergy as we know, but I love knowing reference quality. makes me appreciate what I do own and can afford. I also use a lower system in the bedroom. I have no problem going back and forth. I also use headphones and a wonderful custom in ear monitor for portable use. Music is music to me. I love the gear as much as the music.

 

[mep]

Do you believe that auditioning high end audio components that sound superior to your current audio components can rewire your brain to the point that it impacts future listening enjoyment of your current components?

This happened to me once with a pair of speakers I owned to the point that I had no choice but to sell them. I literally couldn’t listen to them anymore. Is this a common occurrence?

Ken

Not for me. I have never left an audio show, came home and listened to my system and felt disappointed.

 

[CPP]

Not for me. I have never left an audio show, came home and listened to my system and felt disappointed.

Same with cars, I never finished a test drive in a $100K + car and got back in my car and said, ah crap. Of course the $$$$ have a little something to do with that.

 

[Mikado463]

Not for me. I have never left an audio show, came home and listened to my system and felt disappointed.

agreed and when I factor in $$ differential I often 'pat myself on the back' !

I suppose if I were to hear a discernible difference when price points are similar I might question myself and or system .........

 

[Bobvin]

I am going to subject myself to this great risk a week from tomorrow... I’ll be driving up to Seattle to hear the Wilson WAMM speakers. I’ve been warned this can be a dangerous experience. But, I do look forward to the opportunity.

When I was younger and had a much more modest system, hearing SOTA components exposed weaknesses in my own rig, and fanned the flames of upgrade fever. It happens much less frequently now.

 

[mep]

agreed and when I factor in $$ differential I often 'pat myself on the back' !

I suppose if I were to hear a discernible difference when price points are similar I might question myself and or system ........

You can always discern differences in systems at around the same price points because of the way the components were chosen and how the system was setup. The old saying that "You get what you pay for" doesn't always hold true in audio. Sometimes you get more, sometimes you get less-a lot less. Because of the nonlinear price to performance ratio in audio, once you get beyond a certain price point of a system, improvements don't come cheap and improvements are variations upon a theme. Audio is all about compromises and tradeoffs at every price point. My main point is that I don't come home after an audio show and listen to my system and feel like it was smoked by what I heard.

 

[SuperDave]

I have had it happen but mostly not. The only time it's happened is when I didn't have a system that made me tap my toes. It did cool and neat things which is why I bought it but it didn't make me tap my toes. No music connection.

So when I listened to a cheaper but much better system (20 20 hind sight) and it made me tap my toes, I literally found I wouldn't listen to my system at all. So I changed some things and my desire came back instantly.

This is exactly how I audition equipment. If my leg isn't shaking, I'm not buying.

 

[brad225]

Maybe the audiophile’s level of OCD comes into play as well!

Ken

Truly, I think there is some of that involved for many, certainly me.

Obsessive/Compulsive, I'm the person that just bought a new chair, cut it apart, reassmebled and had the upholstery repaired so sound waves would not bounce off the head rest and mess with my sound.

A niece came over to have dinner with my wife and me a couple of weeks ago. My wife was showing her something that had changed in our master bedroom.
She then took Samantha into my music room to show her my new chair.
When I explained that I had renovated and the reason why. She got this your a goober look on her face and said " Of course you did".

We had a good laugh and went back to our wine.

Thus far, I have not listened to another system and come home and was disappointed with my sound.

There are times that I think I need to look for something to improve the sound. I come up with a few ideas and then just sit on it for a while. 98% of the time within a couple of more listening sessions I tell myself "You Are a Goober" there is nothing you need to upgrade to, to make any sizable difference without spending X-$0,000 of dollars.

 

[Spock]

Do you believe that auditioning high end audio components that sound superior to your current audio components can rewire your brain to the point that it impacts future listening enjoyment of your current components?

I would say... Of course
:blush:
Despite the damage, It´s the best way to evolve.
Listening other systems is the best way to discovery the weaknesses of our own system. Let me tell you a story. About twelve years ago i had a system and i had a philosophy: getting the background more "black" and "quiet" would make disappear all the "trash", all the "jitter", all the harshness, and would allow bring to life the most immaculate and pure sounds, with a clear tone, plenty of separation and detail. The final result would be the most comfortable and enjoyable sound, that would allow me to listen tons of hours of music. And at time i was convinced that i had good reasons to think like that, because I could not get much better (if not worse), from many other systems I used to listening at the time, wherever i went. Yes, what i had was a dark sound, completely rolled off in the high frequencies.
Of course I always knew how the cymbals of a drum sound (a cousin of mine plays in his garage and is almost deafening). But what I thought then was that the reality was very difficult to imitate and even some of the best (read more expensive) systems had treble frequencies with a unique tone (tssst tssst tssst).
Then, one day I went to listen to a DIY system with some Monitor Audio Studio 20 speakers. And that day changed my perception of the audio till today. It is true that I felt quite the lack of a serious deep bass. I also confess that the human voices had a metallic tone that I simply could not stand. But the treble, oh my God ... I did not even know that it was possible to reproduce the cymbals with such resemblance.
From that point on, I tried to get that kind of fidelity in my system, which ended up in the (gradual) exchange of almost everything. And the search continues, although today it is more focused on the bass. It must be there, full of strength but without messing up the midrange because everything has to sound very “clean”. So, when I hear another system, I'm always trying to identify the positives, and here i go again looking for them ...

It´s bad… :weird:

(*) Looking back, I think it was a really bad time for audio. There were so many complaints online about aggressive systems that the brands made the will to the consumer and started "selling" the “idea” that the best was a warm sound and almost forgot the high frequencies.

 

[UltraFast69]

Listening to something perceived as better has the ability to create influence.

I would say we are all compulsive to an extent but most know when it’s a game of emotions, and good decisions cannot be made when emotions are at play.

Yes it’s hard at times to find happiness in what you have with all the distractions presented in listening and reading but like a few said, enjoy what you have.

You will always, with always being an absolute term, be one upped not only in audio but life itself. Knowing this will you then only make peace with yourself.

I’m somewhat in shock I even wrote this and wondering what just happened to me.

Now for the beautiful brunette down the street...








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[CPP]

Like in anything logical when money is involved, A Mans Got to Know his Limitations

 

[Kingrex]

I believe we have all listened to something else at some time and been driven to change our system. If not, we would still be using an old Pioneer receiver. It is what drove us all to spend 10s of thousands on our gear. Your just forgetting the beginnings of the journey.

I heard the magnapan 20.7 and dumped my ported box speakers for the PAP speakers. I never realized how much I did not like what I had. I could not be happier. I have only been in this 6 or 7 years so I am finally reaching the point where I generally prefer the tone and timber of what I assembled over what other I hear. I usually only wish for scale. I was so taken with the Live Sound Design Altec horns I upgraded my PAP to the Trio 15 with horn. I take possession in about 2 weeks. Super excited. Still wondering about purchasing the Chela Audio multi cell horn. That is what was paired with the Altec, Maybe in a few years.

If non of us never came home unhappy, why would we ever break from brand and try something new. Why would we even upgrade. I think we all explore and hear attributes in other equipment that drives us to try new. Just my thought. Maybe others a motivated by something else.