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Last things I purchased were speakers. I listened at length to a number of speakers. The one I chose I listened to for only one song before making up my mind. Four years later, I am still happy. Viva those Veritases!
Some people think that an audio component, like a good wine, reveals its full bouquet only when enjoyed and evaluated at length. Others think they can immediately tell whether or not a component is to their liking. Reader Federico Cribiore wants to know: How long does it takes you?
To be honest, the amount of time it takes varies. I have heard some amplifiers (valve prototypes, mostly) that stood head and shoulders above anything I had heard to that point. At other times, where many factors other than the equipment under evaluation are affecting what I am hearing, it may take a lot longer to judge. Also, I can't ignore my own state when listening. Am I tired, hungry, unwell, feeling off, etc. Finally, living with a product often shows up faults (and virtues) that may have gone unnoticed during the initial listening sessions. Hence, there is tremendous variation for me.
in order to get a full idea of musical character, the previous components' response has to be removed from the listener's mind. This takes time. Many listeners find new musical properties years after the components were purchased.
In a day's time I can play enough CD's of different types of music to get a pretty good idea of a particular piece of equipment's sonic characteristics. I also always listen to the same CD's as I am intimately familiar with their sound and imaging characteristics. This allows me to concentrate on the sonics and soundstage portrayal by the piece of equipment under consideration and not the disc. If I listen further my opinions may change a little from my initial impressions, but usually not enough to alter them completely. I can tell within a day if I am going to buy that piece of equipment or not.
I need five or six good listening sessions to really get the character of a new component or tweek.I have to get to the point that I am not listening too closely and that takes a few days.( The newness has to ware off.) Doug Bogert
The best answer I can give is-- there is no answer. Sometimes the sound is obvious-- particularly with speakers. Other times it can be very subtle, and dependent on a host of outside variables. It takes as long as it takes.
Hearing the change can be almost immediate, but characterizing it takes time. I just mounted an RB300 on my AR table, using my old Blue Point, and heard a difference at once, but it took a few lps to really asses the differences, and hear that I need a new cartridge!What a great tonearm.
i generally force myself tolisten to at least 3 of the 5 songs i use to analyse a system in an unbiased way because the first three i go with are tattletales when a system doesnt sound right .on the flipside if a system really brings the buzz on the first cd and everything is just right then i forget about the other four cds and enjoy the first why fix what ain't broken? that criteria has helped me to enjoy audio more and develop a respect for the efforts of highe end manufacturers.
It all depends on the length of time between evaluating product A and product B. If it's instantenous---i.e., you can switch between them with a remote control from your listening position---most people can hear the difference immediately. If it requires lengthy installations, most listeners' aural memory is insufficient. Then, only a long time spent with a component under testing can commit its sound characteristics to their memory.
It takes me quite a while to feel that I understand a component's nature. Auditioning a component from a dealer for only a few days just hints at what that piece sounds like. I would love to be a reviewer and get to spend months with a variety of equipment. Sounds like heaven!
All good components can sound good under ideal conditions (i.e., good power line, good in-room setup, etc.). However, the ability to understand how that component may sound under adverse conditions takes time---at least a week, in my experience. This "longer time analysis" allows a listener to evaluate how robust the component is with its environment. Another factor that can impact performance is weather conditions. So one has to evaluate over varying weather conditions to get a component's true performance. Now this is only valid for somebody who cares about listening and perhaps listens every day. Then the uncontollable factors become a part of the listening reality. I have seen snap judgments made regarding some components that may have been affected by other factors. Another factor is break-in time.