What trueisms have you learned over the years about HiFi?

The more time I spend on audio forums the less I enjoy listening to music.

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I like this one. May be we should spend less time on the forum.

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This one is one of the best I’ve found. I can name a number of others that seem to have far less open-minded, compassionate posters.

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There is a similar saying in photographic circles, “Shoot more, worry less!”

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It seems to apply to every hobby, sport, interest and activity.

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The one I heard was, “If you want to become a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting shizz”.

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And often…“the less happy I am with my gear, because it seems there’s always something better”.

Two depressing things I have gradually had impressed upon me:

I am a less acute listener than I believed,

Above a certain level convenience and ease of use trump possible sonic improvements
:frowning:

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My wife still thinks I am a cute listener! :roll_eyes:

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That should never be taken for granite.

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True Story: Tom Nakeoile was the first man in history to spend over $10k on speaker cables. They were well made & indeed very sexy looking. He eagerly sped home to hook them up and inject some serious improvement into his audio system. After several test track auditions, he heard absolutely NO audible difference in sound quality. None. His disappointment was further compounded by the fact that the beautiful $5000 per side wires were not even VISIBLE, having disappeared, buried in his thick plush carpet. This REALLY angered Thomas to the core. How would he impress his friends and fellow audiophiles?
Mr. Nakeoile subsequently invented the Cable Elevator. Thomas Nakeoile is now a millionaire.
:rofl:

  • Trust your ears, but not daily. Because some nights they JUST don’t hear things quite right.
  • If certain songs, passages, sounds STILL make the hairs stand up - you’re still entrenched into this hobby.
  • Some nights you analyze, audition and experiment - some nights you just listen.
  • If you’re my age, and your wife thinks you are a cute listener, time to book her optometrist’s appointment. :laughing: :nerd_face:
  • Live for the moment and embrace the changes. I’ve had dozens of systems over the years; each one better than the previous but the enjoyment that every single one provided was close to equal. The songs that marked my life and the systems of the time periods are all treasured. Songs from my very first Pioneer SX-3800 & Pioneer Turntable & Audiosphere speakers produced the same goosebumps that those same tracks do on my SGCD,M1200s & Mags. Sure the refinement difference is immeasurable but the appreciation for that crappy first system was cherished as much as the current one. As was every derivation of components throughout this journey and likely the next version.
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  1. The Rogers LS3/5a is a great speaker
  2. In a well set up system, the area between the speakers is like a window to the music
  3. Near field listening solves a lot of room interaction issues
  4. The happiest audiophiles I know spend a lot more time in record shops than they do in audio shops (except to shoot the bull)
  5. It’s better to have (or have access to) a lot of recordings than to have a mega-buck audio system and little to play on it
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We are essentially listening to the room at certain frequencies.

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The purely objective measurement versus purely subjective listening impression debate is unresolvable. With entrenched camps on both sides. Those of us who straddle the fence are hated by everybody. Ah well, c’est la vie.

The lengths we go, and the expense we incur, to make dirty AC sound sweet.

My ears are definitely not “audiophile grade” as I dont seem to be able to pick out all of the nuances that most others seem to be able to do. I don’t think I could tell the difference between an attack and a decay.
But with that said I friggin’ LOVE my stereo system and all of the enjoyment it brings. And I dont mind spending some of the kids inheritance on it.

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Once I started recording about 20 years ago I stopped complaining as much about poor recordings. I learned how hard it is to get mic placements right, but I also learned that you can mess with the recording too much in post production, so I don’t do that as much anymore. I try and get the recording and mixing done on the fly so I have little to do when we are finished.

I also learned that it is not so much that you might not have the best mics, but learn how to use the ones you have. Placement and the ambient noise of the room are everything.

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Not everyone “gets it”.

Some, never will (or are not interested).

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It sounds great, but no, it doesn’t sound live.

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A “truism”, for sure.

Interestingly, live isn’t always better.

:wink:

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