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I have much more critical ears than anyone else I know. If anything else, I find it hard to listen to my system critically with someone else there, but I don't hear a difference sonically either way.
Have you ever had a pal over to listen to your system, only to find under the scrutiny of the audition that you hear your system differently than when you were alone?
I tend to dwell on the little things my system does not do well, while friends tend to revel in the whole effect of my system---especially the bringing out of those backround sounds that I have taken for granted but are not necassarily evident in their home systems.
I don't often feel that the sound of my system is affected by company. The only time that I experienced this was when my friend had his set-up working in the same space, and I was forced to think critically on how his system differed from mine. On the subject of music, however, the people around can have a serious impact on how much or little I can enjoy myself and connect with what I'm listening to. When listening to a piece with a group of people who all "get it," there can be a heightened sense of joy inside the music, but when in the presence of someone who dissapproves or is put off by the music, their negative energy can ruin a listening session. This is especially true for very complex, subtle, or nuanced music. Like many things, audiophile joy is in the mind, and therefore is fragile.
I feel II must move away from the person listening to the music as if iI am tooclose I disrupt this pesons ltening space. As my speakers are my own concoctions and have been compared often with eletrotatics. There is only one precise spot where the full acoustic matrix works well, as I use the Dynaco method of recapturing hall sounds. all in all music is soo soothig when proprely reproduced. If one tames the room accordig to the inescaopable lawsof acoustics and have decent speakers, you can not have anything but great sound. I am very happy withmy souns and please keep up the excellent approach. I will remake my subscription as soon as it is due. John Atkinson gives a breath of scientific thruth to the subjective comments of the reviewers. I wish all of you a very long life, we need you! R. Guy Tr
I have no delusions, no insecurities related to my gear. I like it and know it is good. Usually, we are talking, sharing our lives with each other instead of acting like zombie techno-geeks anyway. Last Sunday one of the wives in the group did ask what CD was playing. It was Mosaic's Miles live set on LP.
I listen for details in the music when I am listening by myself that I usually don't listen for when others are present. Imaging, presence, and placement or depth of the instruments and so on. But other people just think it sounds great!