Amps and Women

Very nice post, Adamanteus and I've rated it accordingly. I haven't got your training and I won't start a war either, but in the face of this mighty opposition, as you so rightly point out, was it really just our cortex, in interpreting signals though hearing, smelling, sight, whatever better than all those beasts and the Neanderthal men, that helped us to survive as a species? What your statement seems to infer, if I interpret it correctly, is something like no "need" for different sensual acuity between genders, because that would not have helped anyway against all that mighty opposition. Now what Katharina seems to imply is that the better the cortex is fed with information, the better its bearer has a chance to survive and since women, to her reasoning at least, had to lead a more "passive" existence, they needed a better "radar" to stay alive. So I think your post does not really fault her argument. To me the weak spot in in her assumption might be the passivity aspect. I think Ka's idea is fascinating, but I cannot say of course, if its valid or not.

Thanks for the flowers D, but maybe I was just too much trying to be left brained or so and if I forget the other sice it never comes out right. Elisabeth, I think you absolutely got it. I don't care a damn about what component makes the system sound this way or that, but, devil, will I hear if its "right" or not, "right" being a sort of engram in me about all the live musical events I've been to.

My wife's hearing is much keener than mine at lower SPL's. I do have some hearing damage but it only effects me at extremely low listening levels (I have had it tested off and on since my teens). My wife is not into this hobby but will sometimes complain about changes that I make to the system (cabling, etc.) and ask what "that noise" is. As far as I understand (that noise) only happens when the music is playing and has been generally present to her when I have been auditioning brighter more detailed cables. For example she hated the Illumination D60 digital cable in the system (PBJ's as well), which I actually liked until I turned up the volume well past our normal listening level and also heard some type of high frequency noise (whatever it was it was a sound that seemed to be "behind" or in addition but still accompanying the notes, if this makes any sense, it's a CD based system), she was right there was a "funny" noise. I had always thought that acute female hearing was due to the inner workings of the ear being scaled down and more delicate/sensative (I doubt if KD Lang would fill the bill, but you know what I mean). I have also noticed that generally speaking the women in my life have preferred more bass and less treble in regard to what I feel is a nice balance. I wonder if I hear more of the bass and less of the highs in comparison?

Detlof,

I appreciate your thoughtful reply, and, yes, you interpreted my argument correctly. I simply left the conclusion unspoken. I don't agree that it vitiates my argument, but we can agree to disagree :>). Re "passivity".. who the blazes knows? The females I've known throughout my life have been anything but passive when they've got their minds set upon something. My wife, a sweet, gentle soul will usually win me over to something or other just by dint of persistence, subtle reintroduction of ______ in a conversation, or finding a way of steering our attention back to this or that topic. Is that passivity? Not to me. It's more like a quiet, unwavering tenacity. Simply not as dramatic at first blush as some approach a man might take. Results seem to be about the same.

Deklay, this is fascinating, because after trying another subwoofer in my system the other day, my lady in question found, that finally the music had the right underpinnings, whereas I found the bass still illadjusted and simply too much. Coincidence? Perhaps not.