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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
jl35
3,909 posts
 
I never take "best" literally in these threads...though there are a few who do endlessly repeat “best” and do seem to mean it literally 
afisher
72 posts
 
The first victims of the “ best” virus were the yuppies. Whatever they wanted to purchase it had to be the “best”. This virus is still very contagious among the clueless with lots of money.
jond's avatar
jond
5,654 posts
 
The best is the enemy of good enough. My system is good enough for me and that works.
edcyn
1,876 posts
 
Yeah, but "best" stimulates/animates the conversation. The proverbial click bait. Let the ego rage!
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
12,441 posts
 
Anybody else want to fight the harmful myth of "best" in audio?



If anybody read my posts i went  fighting that for the last 2 years...

There is no absolute best, speakers,dac,or amplifiers....

There is no absolute supremacy of tubes over S.S.

There is no vinyl supremacy over digital nor the opposite either...

BUT

There is an absolute supremacy of ACOUSTIC science and experience over electronics products, because we all listen to our speakers/room/ears with our two EARS....The most important part of this family being the room/ears by a huge gap....

Fine tuning the audio system, and controlling in the right way the 3 working embeddings dimensions where ANY system is immersed, mechanical,electrical and acoustical, this is the KEY....

Especially ACOUSTIC controls....

Anybody boasting about his alleged superior electronic design, speakers, amplifier, dac, turntables, is naive, not because this is not true, but because this is not ENOUGH.... Any good design at any price must be rightfully embedded to work optimally....

Especially in his acoustical working embedding dimension....

Then i boast about my listening experiments....  😁😁😊😊😎😎

 Do the same, seat and listen, trust yourself and trust your ears and be creative....No cost here....

My best to all....

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