It’s All a Preference

[Phelonious Ponk]

I'll overcome the embarrassment of having Tim agree with me. Eventually. It goes without saying I encourage you to indulge your preference . That includes the person who drives by my home almost daily blasting the booming system. I just hope he was or one day will become aware of his alternatives for hardware and software.

We agree occasionally, Greg. Usually when a thread has jumped the shark and veered into politics...

Tim

 

[Gregadd]

Of course you realized my response was tongue in cheek.:b

 

[MarinJim]

Distraction from what? Honest question.

A distraction form the truth of the universe (which we cannot comprehend). I think Carl Sagan would agree. Honest answer

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Of course you realized my response was tongue in cheek.:b

I did, and appreciated the good humor. The political comment was sincere, though. We could probably drink and talk politics with little disagreement. Just don't talk religion or audio.

Tim

 

[Gregadd]

Your preference should be the absolute sound. You should arrive at that point by persuasion not by dictation.:b

 

[caesar]

Went to brunch with some family this morning. Our conversation went something like this: Love the lamb! No the prime rib was much better.... the lamb tasted like it had too much mint, or was it marinated in all spice?... Maybe both, but I wish they took that ingredient out... Well the lamb is so much cheaper per pound than the prime rib.... That's why prime rib tastes better. But they overcooked the prime rib! ...

Anyone bring anyone else to their point of view? I doubt it.

 

[mep]

Sounds like you need a better restaurant. I would step over 200 lbs of lamb meat to get to one regular McDonalds hamburger. And that's not because I think that McDonald's hamburgers taste good, it's just that I could eat it without holding my nose. As for a properly cooked piece of prime rib, they aren't on the same planet for me compared to Bah Bah Black Sheep minus how many months they are past 12 months.

 

[MarinJim]

I stopped eating fast food and carbs, and I lost 30 lbs. And I am a bodybuilder and trainer. Check out The Eating Academy.

 

[Joe D]

You can show me all the data in the world it is still a subjective thing ..it is an art so it includes science but is not dictated by science

 

[cpp]

relative fidelity, well Relativism is the concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration or, Considered in relation or in proportion to something else: "the relative effectiveness of the mechanism is not known Seems to fit audio choices and opinions...

 

[jkeny]

Or one could say audio science enables musical art...

What I presume you are restricting your comment to is that it has enabled recording & playback but I doubt you could make the argument that it has anything to do with making music which can be done without any electronics or even instruments!

 

[JackD201]

I'd go crazy if I could never get my doses of rock and edm. A world with only acoustic music, a cappella, and the broadway show Stomp would drive me up the wall. LOL.

 

[Joe D]

Word

 

[Joe D]

Or one could say audio science enables musical art...

Very true Tom

 

[j_j]

Just for the record I would like to endorse the idea that what you, personally, use is whatever you prefer, and that's all there is to it.

Nobody has any business telling you not to use it.

The only problem comes about when a preference is presented as something beyond a preference, either by making it universal or by adding some kind of "explanation" that appears to fly in the face of current understanding.

 

[MrAcoustat]

We like to talk about neutrality vice preferences like there is really a black and white choice to be made. Although we can say with a high degree of certainty that there are measurable differences between electronics and speakers of any type with some measuring *better* in ways that have been deemed to be better, in reality, none of them are neutral. And I mean neutral in the fact that no electronics sound exactly like live music and the circuit has zero colorations. We just aren’t there yet people.

You like SS? That’s a preference. You like tubes? That’s a preference. You prefer single-ended amps over push-pull amps? That’s a preference. You think electrostats sound better than box speakers? That’s a preference. You like digital and not analog? That’s a preference. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. All of our systems are built upon our preferences.

So, given that no electronics or speakers are perfect, the sound and the gear we all buy are based on our preferences whether we care to admit it or not. While absolute fidelity may be our goal, we have no absolute fidelity at this point in time. I for one think there is much more work to be done in all links of the recording and playback chain before we can declare victory and say we have arrived and crossed the threshold of absolute fidelity.

Agree 200%, neutrality does not exist as you say SO well it's all about preference i don't listend to specs i listend to music on some system i like and on others i don't does not mean that one is better than the other, it's just that i PREFER one over the other but you may think different and that's fine to.

 

[sasully]

It's only an issue when people start explaining why something sounds better to them.....which audiophiles seem to really like doing.

 

[microstrip]

It's only an issue when people start explaining why something sounds better to them.....which audiophiles seem to really like doing.

I do not have any problem when people explain why something sounds better to them - on the contrary I really enjoy reading it and exchanging opinions - but I do not enjoy when the only thing they know and have to say is why my or others preferences are not real.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

I do not have any problem when people explain why something sounds better to them - on the contrary I really enjoy reading it and exchanging opinions - but I do not enjoy when the only thing they know and have to say is why my or others preferences are not real.

Your preferences are real micro, and they always have been. They're just not more real.

Tim

 

[microstrip]

Your preferences are real micro, and they always have been. They're just not more real.

Tim

Thanks for letting me know your opinion. For your information once I analyze them, cross them with others preferences, and correlate them with equipment they become they become a little more real.