Well maybe it IS my hearing

I think it is not only the physical aspects of hearing, but training yourself what to listen for. Hearing and listening are two different things.  That being said, I have evolved a sense of hearing to appreciate differences in sound with equipment.  As far back as 1974 I could hear a BIG difference between a Pioneer receiver vs a Sherwood.  And a bit later around 1982, between a Dual 1229 turntable and a SOTA Sapphire. Now I can discern differences between preamps amps and SOME CD players.  But once I got into cables, I could not tell much difference once I replaced the cheapo cables that came with lesser components (of course higher end components do not come with cables at all). 

For more subtle differences, A-B tests are not very informative. One has to live with a certain component before introducing a change to perceive a difference.  Yeah a A-B test will show the differences between a Dual and a SOTA, immediately but not so between a SOTA and a VPI for example.   And I would think between high end cables, it would take a lot more concentration and listening skills. I just have not been so inspired to put myself through it at that level. 

So, for those who CAN hear a difference, I believe you. For those who can't I believe you too.   But, yes, there is some hyperbole and emperor's new clothes syndromes in audio, as there is in just about everything. 

+1 kink56 !!!!


That is the perfect post.


All I want to add is, does this training make you happy? Does this level of discernment contribute to your life in a positive way that feeds you and gives you energy to better engage your community and the rest of the world, or, is it a demanding God / Goddess with no appreciable benefit?


Like, fishing, at least you can share your catch with those you love. :)


Best,

E

One overlooked area of hearing is....wait for it....ear wax!  If you don't irrigate your ears regularly - and properly - you'll be amazed at the sound after you do.  There's only one way to do it properly, the way physicians recommend, with some was Debrox wax softening drops and an Elephant Ear Washer (google it).  Follow the directions for the drops, then irrigate in the shower with warm water.  If you've got any wax, you'll be amazed at how big a "plug" of wax can get.  You'll be turning down the volume settings on your equipment.  As for affecting music quality, the ear is a sensitive instrument.  The difference in removing a wax buildup or plug is like lifting a veil, similar to what happens when you use foam port plugs on a speaker.

Great thread. I don't have any insight to add, I just want to share my experiences. I have tinnitus and the corresponding hearing loss that causes it. I don't need hearing aids yet but have a hard time with hearing conversations clearly.

Several years ago I converted my Magnepan 1.6's to active with a Bryston 10B, gutting the stock crossovers. First - there was a tremendous difference in everything musical, no big surprise with such a dramatic change. Second - I set about measuring to try to optimize the frequency response in my room going through most of the available crossover frequencies and slopes. I noticed a strange phenomenon. When changing slopes with a selected set of frequencies the various slopes would measure the same. That gave me a baseline. When I played music to tailor things to what I like to hear and changed slopes within the same frequencies I could hear a difference. Even though they had measured the same. Someone over at the Planar Asylum suggested it was group delay that was causing the sonic differences. Makes sense, but I don't know how to prove it.

Third - When having a non "audiophile" friend over for dinner I did an experiment with cables. My CD player has two audio outs so I hooked up a somewhat expensive interconnect to one and a modestly priced interconnect to the second. After switching back and forth between the inputs with a remote while listening to music I asked my friend if he could hear the difference and he could. He could tell me which input I had selected without looking. Now, he preferred the sound of the cheaper interconnect and I preferred the more expensive one so it's individual preferences. 

Even with my hearing loss I could pick up the fairly subtle differences. Which was "better/more accurate" in both cases. I don't know. I just stay with the crossover settings and interconnects I like music played on.

FWIW
Jim S..

Rest assured that by 79 you'll probably be listening through hearing aids, as I am now.  Get good ones, and they will reach reasonably flat into the lower treble range .... enough for well-reproduced recordings of acoustic music to still have a reasonable facsimile to the real thing.