I don't care if it's a placebo so long as it works!
At some point when you are building and upgrading your stereo system, you will be faced with the basic question when is enough, enough? did the last upgrade to the sound really do all that much to improve the sound (or sounds worse!) despite all the reviews and measurements you have seen for it? Or when you changed a pair of interconnect cables (or a power cable!) and you could swear you heard an improvement of such a magnitude, and that just does not make sense to you.
How you answer these questions really puts you in two camps: Objectivists (Not the Ayn Rand types, thankfully) and Subjectivists. In a nutshell, an Objectivist is of the mind that unless there is some scientific basis verified by a measurement technique that can quantify an effect, you are experiencing the placebo effect, your ears are fooling you, Emperor's New Clothes, etc. The most extreme members of that group take great delight in "debunking" - which really is trying to make themselves feel smart and others stupid or misguided. The Subjectivists feel that the best measurement instruments you have are attached to your head (those would be ears, by the way) and if you hear a difference, there is a difference and sonic quality can only be measured by experience and measurements are deceptive. They also take great delight in extolling the virtues of obsolete media, and within this group is an interesting crew that seek out discarded technologies (field coils, Western Electric horn speakers, single driver speakers, etc) and imply or flat out state that we have made no real progress on the reproduction of sound in the last 30, 40, 50 , 60 years.
And, no, Objectivists are not Star Trek Vulcans (they get far too angry for them to be anything but Romulans, by the way), and the Subjectivists are not refugees from some sort of Hippie Free-Love Commune (there is no way those types could or would cooperate long enough to make it there, I view them more as disciples of Tesla more than Hippies). Since both are really cut form the same cloth, the right analogy for both would be the Dr. Seuss Star-Bellied-Sneeches because at their best they look and act the same, and at their worst ... they shout a lot and look and act the same. You can probably guess, I don't get along with most audiophiles regardless of the star on their bellies. Kind of like the old Groucho Marx saying "I would never belong to a club that would have me as a member."
It is easy to tire of the endless "religious wars" about lamp cord vs high end speaker cables and whether double blind test work really well or not very well at all. I will spare you the substance of thesecolossal wastes of time debates, and that a few people care very much about them, possibly even distracting them from listening to music.
It's about the Musical Enjoyment, Stupid!
That whole debate misses the point. We put together these stereos - and whether you spend a small or outrageous sum of money, you should be transported to the venue in your experience - lifted up, crushed, ravished, laugh, cry or have a transcendent moment by music - which for most of us is enabled by high quality sound reproduction. And this inherently subjective experience will end up having its own rules. You may listen with the lights off, or on, you may want the room hot or cold, you may want everything a neat stack with all equipment visible, or hidden away, or a rat's nest. You may want to be in lounge pants, dressed up, laying on a beanbag chair (remember those?), or with scented air. All usually are done in enhance your enjoyment - and you know what? If you enjoyment is enhanced ... it works! Both types of star-bellied sneeches would be happy for you if they could forget the stars!
So I propose a new philosophy, a third way whose saying is: "I don't care if it's a placebo or not, as long as it works!"
The key is to find out what works for you. And if you ever feel it isn't up to snuff - go out, and go listen to some live music. Not to compare but to have fun - that sort of "reference sound" can be cheap and usually is readily available. And when you come home and pop in some music, you'll know all you need to know. And as long as you aren't breaking the bank, who really cares?
And yes, my placebo works fine ... why do you ask?
 |
| Subjectivist vs Objectivist ... or is it the other way around? |
How you answer these questions really puts you in two camps: Objectivists (Not the Ayn Rand types, thankfully) and Subjectivists. In a nutshell, an Objectivist is of the mind that unless there is some scientific basis verified by a measurement technique that can quantify an effect, you are experiencing the placebo effect, your ears are fooling you, Emperor's New Clothes, etc. The most extreme members of that group take great delight in "debunking" - which really is trying to make themselves feel smart and others stupid or misguided. The Subjectivists feel that the best measurement instruments you have are attached to your head (those would be ears, by the way) and if you hear a difference, there is a difference and sonic quality can only be measured by experience and measurements are deceptive. They also take great delight in extolling the virtues of obsolete media, and within this group is an interesting crew that seek out discarded technologies (field coils, Western Electric horn speakers, single driver speakers, etc) and imply or flat out state that we have made no real progress on the reproduction of sound in the last 30, 40, 50 , 60 years.
And, no, Objectivists are not Star Trek Vulcans (they get far too angry for them to be anything but Romulans, by the way), and the Subjectivists are not refugees from some sort of Hippie Free-Love Commune (there is no way those types could or would cooperate long enough to make it there, I view them more as disciples of Tesla more than Hippies). Since both are really cut form the same cloth, the right analogy for both would be the Dr. Seuss Star-Bellied-Sneeches because at their best they look and act the same, and at their worst ... they shout a lot and look and act the same. You can probably guess, I don't get along with most audiophiles regardless of the star on their bellies. Kind of like the old Groucho Marx saying "I would never belong to a club that would have me as a member."
It is easy to tire of the endless "religious wars" about lamp cord vs high end speaker cables and whether double blind test work really well or not very well at all. I will spare you the substance of these
 |
| Take the Red Pill or Blue Pill? I think Nancy Reagan may have some words for this situation ... |
It's about the Musical Enjoyment, Stupid!
That whole debate misses the point. We put together these stereos - and whether you spend a small or outrageous sum of money, you should be transported to the venue in your experience - lifted up, crushed, ravished, laugh, cry or have a transcendent moment by music - which for most of us is enabled by high quality sound reproduction. And this inherently subjective experience will end up having its own rules. You may listen with the lights off, or on, you may want the room hot or cold, you may want everything a neat stack with all equipment visible, or hidden away, or a rat's nest. You may want to be in lounge pants, dressed up, laying on a beanbag chair (remember those?), or with scented air. All usually are done in enhance your enjoyment - and you know what? If you enjoyment is enhanced ... it works! Both types of star-bellied sneeches would be happy for you if they could forget the stars!
So I propose a new philosophy, a third way whose saying is: "I don't care if it's a placebo or not, as long as it works!"
The key is to find out what works for you. And if you ever feel it isn't up to snuff - go out, and go listen to some live music. Not to compare but to have fun - that sort of "reference sound" can be cheap and usually is readily available. And when you come home and pop in some music, you'll know all you need to know. And as long as you aren't breaking the bank, who really cares?
And yes, my placebo works fine ... why do you ask?
Good to know I'm not the only outlaw out there! I don't even refer to myself as an audiophile anymore, as it infers a level of snobbery or lunacy, depending on who you ask.
ReplyDeleteI have been an audio and music enthusiast for over 50 years (I started very young), a musician for as long, and a mastering engineer for the last 30.
I find myself playing referee often in group discussions regarding analog vs. digital, or tubes vs. transistors, interconnects, moving coil vs, moving magnet, blah, blah, blah...or other silly wars like that.
My last upgrade in the last 25 years of any audible difference was going to a Baerwald protractor for my tonearm. Cheap mega-fix!
My last discussion with an audiophile; audio bricks. Really. Not kidding. That is my cue to throw up my hands and quietly walk away. Cheers!