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The myth of "best" in audio needs to be addressed by all of us

After spending a year and half deeply immersed in audiophilia (with so much enjoyable benefit), I've identified my tendency (seemingly share by many) to chase the fantasy of "best" in this perfectionistic hobby/pursuit.  It leads to obsessiveness, second-guessing, acrimony between audio tribes, and personal insecurity when reading these forums and all the reviews.  

But, thinking about it, how could there ever be a "best" component, cable, or speaker for listening to music.  This is a subjective experience!!! 

From a purely measurement/engineering perspective -- "best" could mean a lot of things (but they don't automatically mean more enjoyable sonics). 

In listening and enjoying music, there is no "best" -- only "favorite".  And even "favorite" can change -- it certainly has for me.  I've gone back and forth multiple times on all sorts of gear preferences. You can like what you like, you don't have to defend it, and nobody should mess with it!

Anybody else want to fight the harmful myth of "best" in audio?
redwoodaudio

Showing 10 responses by redwoodaudio

redwoodaudio OP
413 posts
 
@steakster I’ve seen countless such posts and have been drawn in by that conceptual trap a lot. Newbies especially are vulnerable to it, but old heads report “class A is best” or “vinyl is best” or “r2r dacs are best” all the time...
redwoodaudio OP
413 posts
 
Thanks for your responses so far.

Rather than “best,” what if designers, manufacturers, and dealers were better at really describing what their products actually sound like?  Would that have to mean acknowledging imperfection in some areas?  The death of hype!  Sign me up!

Anybody already doing this?


redwoodaudio OP
413 posts
 
@bob540 - even "best for the money" is a fantasy. How would anyone ever know? I've told myself I had "best for the money" gear before, and it made me feel more comfortable, but I realized I just could not ever know. 

I bought expensive tube monoblocks (wavestream kinetics m100s) used because of a recommendation. They're awesome. But because I can't ever know if they're the "best" or even "best for the money" (about $7k), asking myself if they are "best" or "best for the money" is a trap that pulls me into anxiety. I'm trying to stop.

Why do we need this concept of "best" at all anymore? Let the marketers mess with it, but let's take the pressure off in general when we're at home. 
redwoodaudio OP
413 posts
 
@testpilot said

There is no universal best.....just a best for you
Maybe not even a "best for you," in reality. Maybe a "good enough."  How could you ever know it was "best?"

Maybe I care more about the words we use than most, but "best" has a lot of baggage in audio and the culture generally, as prior posters have stated. 
redwoodaudio OP
413 posts
 
@tomic601 I take it back, I'm no tuner expert 
redwoodaudio OP
413 posts
 
@mahgister - you certainly seem to be one of the posters with the highest reported satisfaction from their system on the forum... not taken in by the industry hype of “best” gear.
redwoodaudio OP
413 posts
 
@tomcy6 - well put

I hope we all know that there are a many very good systems out there, that many lower cost systems sound better than many higher cost systems, and that we will never get unanimous agreement on which system sounds the best.
@douglas_schroeder - why not a productive conversation? You don't feel pressure around having "the best?"

I happened to purchase one of your recently recommended DACs, the Wells Audio Cipher, and am very happy.  Despite its manufacturers claims that it's the "best DAC in the world," it would be silly of me to buy into that hype. "Best I've heard in my system," yes, but I've only heard 3 DACs in my system ever!  I'm trying to keep sane by just enjoying it... 
redwoodaudio OP
413 posts
 
@mijostyn - my point is that "best" in audio is impossible, given the subjectivity involved. There is no "best." Even with all the optimal measurements involved, my "best" will differ from yours. It's a flawed concept, a myth, that serves only to keep up insecure in our pursuit. 
redwoodaudio OP
413 posts
 
I can think of one counter-example to my above screeds. The AM/FM tuner. There has to be a "best" in terms of picking up radio frequencies with most clarity, precision, and sensitivity. All measurable and I arguable, I'd imagine. Other parts of the audio chain, I don't think the same applies. 
redwoodaudio OP
413 posts
 
@yyzsantabarbara great link, thanks!  that about sums it up!
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