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The downward spiral.....

I've loved listening to (and playing) music for the last 35 years. I was trained as a pianist and suspect that my ears are at least decent (even if they do stick out
a little more than I'd like...)

Like so many of us, I suspect, I have assembled more high-end systems that I can remember - heaven only knows how much money I've spent, how many
reviews I've pored over, how many times I've labored over cable-matching, AB comparisons, toeing in massive speakers just that final 1/16 inch to get the soundstage
just right, rearranging living rooms to minimize that nasty hump at 56 Hz etc etc. I'm sure many of you can relate...

Being a bit of a contrarian at heart I recently have been conducting the Ultimate Experiment - the Final Downgrade. A few months ago I came into possession of an
old pair of Quad 57s (now being rebuilt) with matching 303 power amp. As those who know these things, the sounds emanating from these devices was sublime.
It made me think. Here I was listening to simply beautiful music through some of the cheapest components I've ever bought. What if I continued my downward financial
progress?
Out went some very expensive tube amplification, German turntable, carbon fiber arm, expensive MC cartridge, Nordost cable, tube output SACD player etc. In came a Thorens TD125,
complete with SME 3009, V15III, and the cheapest decent CD player I could find (the original Rega Planet). For the phone/preamp I chose a pair of Pro-Ject components,
As soon as I can find a Quad 33 I'll grab it and do a little renovation, esp on the phono section. As the speakers were being now rebuilt I acquired an old pair of
Maggies (12QR) to tide me over. The interconnects are strictly mid-fi, and the speaker cable less than that. The new (non-ported) subwoofer was relatively expensive - about
$450, but not well-known.
I anticipate the cost of the whole system will be around $2300. The average age of the components will be 35 years old.

What am I losing? Certainly not money, that's for sure! Perhaps a few Hertz at the bottom end. Perhaps. What surprises me daily (I listen usually for about 4 hours a day to everything
between 12th century plainsong to rap and everything between) is that this relatively cheap and certainly very old-fashioned system does so much that is absolutely right. I feel no
pressing needs to upgrade anything; no tweaking necessary. The music comes through as I want.
In my spare time I still haunt the local high-end stores and listen to some ultra expensive gear: not once have I gone home with an axe to do The Right Thing to my '70s
system.

So, my question is a simple one. How much progress has there been since 1970? For the last thirty years I have firmly believed that each year has brought some progress.
Now I question this. As I write this I am listening to a record pressed in 1975 (Neville Marriner) and my happiness is complete. Am I losing my grip?
--
57s4me

Showing 4 responses by 57s4me

57s4me OP
30 posts
 
It's nice to feel not entirely AWOL on this - thank you for your comments!
Currently listening to Leon Russell, sun streaming through the open window; sometimes life is just too good.

Peace and great music to everyone!
57s4me OP
30 posts
 
In response, I'm in my mid-50s.
Perhaps this means gradual hearing loss is part of the picture - not sure about this though.
Drubin, your point is well-taken. I've always loved the hobby (because it involves music all the time) and the constant searching for improvements.
But there's a more profoundly important point, at least so I'm beginning to believe; this is to do with the arbitrary source material...

There is no Absolute Standard for recordings, or for live music either. Just about every recording, pressing, equalization, listening room, etc etc, is different. Is it not true that some systems/rooms will work better with some sources, and not others? I for one have experienced audio nirvana with some recordings - but in specific sytems - and been disappointed in other systems with the same source material.

And vice versa!

This is one of the fundamental reasons for my "downgrading"
With my present, more humble, system, some of my recordings sound divine, more so than before. Perhaps others don't.

It almost feels like a lottery!

I don't have room for multiple systems. It feels like every system I've ever put together has had its own set of "favorite recordings". This one is no exception. As I write I'm listening to a CD re-issue of Billy The Kid in the Living Stereo series - thrillingly involving!

It's an odd business to be sure, with no clear winners and losers.....
57s4me OP
30 posts
 
I think the answer is simple, and I say this with the greatest respect: it seems that today we're both loving the music we hear.

Perhaps our processes have been slightly different, but ultimately that doesn't matter. Our delight in listening to music we love is all that matters!
57s4me OP
30 posts
 
Orpheus10, I actually was trained as a pianist (how I made my living for some time), and perhaps this helps me listen. I'd prefer to think democratically though: none of us hears the same music in the same ways (a good thing IMHO), and possible none of us hears the same piece in the same way twice. Kind of marvelous really - there's always so much to learn!

Crawfojb; believe me, I can relate to you - I'm still not getting withdrawal symptoms yet - and I hope not to.....

As a PS to Orpheus10 - I think I understand your comment about singers. Perhaps there is a masking effect in "Lo Fi" that works euphonically, and the resulting sounds simply sound more pleasant. It's not always about the amount of information, but more about the psychoachoustics of it all. I've heard music on cheap car speakers that moved me to tears. Just a thought.
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