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Do you ever doubt you ears ?

I think I have very good hearing, probably better than average based on occasions when listening together with others. I have years of experience listening to a huge range of systems and equipment, a-b
comparisons etc., and I have also read an enormous amount about the subject. No doubt many here are at a higher level than I am.

When comparing cables I sometimes get confused. I hear big differences/improvements sometimes but when I go back to the reference a week later it sounds better. Switching around confuses me more. Bass is always the easiest and most consistent to compare. I start doubting my ears or my memory, especially when my opinion is 180 degrees different to reviews.
mike60
sounds_real_audio
950 posts
 
What you describe is the way the equipment has been marketed over the years. A company comes out with a new driver or new amplifier or new upgrade to existing piece of gear. You hear it and you hear "big differences" so you upgrade. Six months later you wonder what happened. Sure the bass got bigger but it doesn't go lower, just seems to overload your room. The pre amplifier has a new cap in it. Now the highs are supposed to be "better". 6 months later your ears are burning.

I don't doubt my ears if I am satisfied with my system for years. I doubt my brain if I fall for the hype...
hotmailjbc
571 posts
 
i hear differences in recording technigues. one cd will sound open and dynamic and then another will sound flat. no gear,accessories change but the sound sure does.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Hotmailjbc, yes, me to. I don't think for a moment that it is uncommon to hear meaningful differences.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
05-29-11: Philjolet
NO, I have not started doubting my ears yet.

I think the best way to 'listen' is to not 'listen' specifically for anything, give it at least two weeks and then switch back, keep the conscious mind out of it ...
I agree. I don't pay attention to the sound *per se* so much as pay attention to my emotional response to the music. Moods and other things vary so it takes multiple listenings over a period of time to be sure.

But I no longer specifically listen for higher highs, l bass extension, lower detail, etc. I pay attention to how much the music moves me, and if the swap improves resolution, I'll notice it along the way (e.g., I never noticed the backup chorus before). And if the music irritates me more than before, I'll notice that too.
sounds_real_audio
950 posts
 
The point here gentlemen and Elizabeth is that if you have a set up in your home and you have a couple months to listen, then no, your ears will not lie.

A few hours in a dealers show room, or at the CES show can be deceptive.
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