Can someone please explain this to me

[taters]

i have 2 friends that are musicians and they both have terrible audio systems. When I ask them do they ever plan on getting a better system there answer is why. They say they don't need a better system because they can just fill in the sound they are not hearing through their imagination. They say non-musicians like myself have to hear everything in order to enjoy it. They say musicians know how to fill in the gaps and don't need a better system. I wonder if there is scientific evidence to back this up. Or are they just blowing smoke up my ass.

 

[Whatmore]

i have 2 friends that are musicians and they both have terrible audio systems. When I ask them do they ever plan on getting a better system there answer is why. They say they don't need a better system because they can just fill in the sound they are not hearing through their imagination. They say non-musicians like myself have to hear everything in order to enjoy it. They say musicians know how to fill in the gaps and don't need a better system. I wonder if there is scientific evidence to back this up. Or are they just blowing smoke up my ass.

I reckon the bit in bold is just nonsense

 

[DaveyF]

i have 2 friends that are musicians and they both have terrible audio systems. When I ask them do they ever plan on getting a better system there answer is why. They say they don't need a better system because they can just fill in the sound they are not hearing through their imagination. They say non-musicians like myself have to hear everything in order to enjoy it. They say musicians know how to fill in the gaps and don't need a better system. I wonder if there is scientific evidence to back this up. Or are they just blowing smoke up my ass.

Your friends are a little confused, IMHO. The music that they produce and record is what I believe they are referring to. Someone else's piece, well that would be a different scenario and I do not think that they have a point in this regard.

 

[amirm]

i have 2 friends that are musicians and they both have terrible audio systems. When I ask them do they ever plan on getting a better system there answer is why. They say they don't need a better system because they can just fill in the sound they are not hearing through their imagination. They say non-musicians like myself have to hear everything in order to enjoy it. They say musicians know how to fill in the gaps and don't need a better system. I wonder if there is scientific evidence to back this up. Or are they just blowing smoke up my ass.

We all do what they say to some extent. If we listen to a violin on a clock radio, distortions and all, we still know it is a violin and can imagine it to be as good as we want. Certainly a lot better than what comes out of that 1 inch driver.

That aside, there is a cost to being an audiophile and unless someone appreciates the specific aspect of that, it cannot be justified for countless people. They rather spend their money on their specific hobbies such as better instruments or whatever else they are doing. Musicians as a whole, and as indicated by your friends, are not audiophiles. We think they should be but they don't have much in common with us. Playing an instrument, hearing it inside of a band or a in studio, is an entirely different matter than doing what we do.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

We all do what they say to some extent. If we listen to a violin on a clock radio, distortions and all, we still know it is a violin and can imagine it to be as good as we want. Certainly a lot better than what comes out of that 1 inch driver.

That aside, there is a cost to being an audiophile and unless someone appreciates the specific aspect of that, it cannot be justified for countless people. They rather spend their money on their specific hobbies such as better instruments or whatever else they are doing. Musicians as a whole, and as indicated by your friends, are not audiophiles. We think they should be but they don't have much in common with us. Playing an instrument, hearing it inside of a band or a in studio, is an entirely different matter than doing what we do.

+1.

 

[DaveC]

I agree that musicians don't often listen to music in the same way... often they are focused on their part or what they imagine they would be playing when they listen to music and how it relates to the other musicians.

When they listen to music they have actual performed, it's WAY different than normal... mostly they just care about hearing their own performance and evaluating it, they are far too absorbed to even be able to make reasonable judgements about the music. They may think it's great when it isn't.

IMO, some musicians can't appreciate music in the same way anymore, not all but some. I was a music lover before I started playing an instrument and I played in a band and we recorded stuff. It made for a very interesting experience and a totally different perspective.

 

[FrantzM]

I agree that musicians don't often listen to music in the same way... often they are focused on their part or what they imagine they would be playing when they listen to music and how it relates to the other musicians.

When they listen to music they have actual performed, it's WAY different than normal... mostly they just care about hearing their own performance and evaluating it, they are far too absorbed to even be able to make reasonable judgements about the music. They may think it's great when it isn't.

IMO, some musicians can't appreciate music in the same way anymore, not all but some. I was a music lover before I started playing an instrument and I played in a band and we recorded stuff. It made for a very interesting experience and a totally different perspective.

Come on Dave! you are rationalizing being an audiophile .. We are different .. the sound of the equipment is as important to us in many instances as the music itself.. it goes as far that many of us will not listen to specific formats ... music be damned

 

[bonzo75]

i have 2 friends that are musicians and they both have terrible audio systems. When I ask them do they ever plan on getting a better system there answer is why. They say they don't need a better system because they can just fill in the sound they are not hearing through their imagination. They say non-musicians like myself have to hear everything in order to enjoy it. They say musicians know how to fill in the gaps and don't need a better system. I wonder if there is scientific evidence to back this up. Or are they just blowing smoke up my ass.

I think people just have to accept that audiophilia is a different hobby that has some overlaps with music. The extent of overlap differs from person to person. But just being an audiophile doesn't mean one understands music, cares for it, or vice versa, even though the phrase "now I am only listening to music" is often repeated on such forums.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Come on Dave! you are rationalizing being an audiophile .. We are different .. the sound of the equipment is as important to us in many instances as the music itself.. it goes as far that many of us will not listen to specific formats ... music be damned

I could somewhat agree with you had you left off the last 3 words.

 

[DaveC]

Come on Dave! you are rationalizing being an audiophile .. We are different .. the sound of the equipment is as important to us in many instances as the music itself.. it goes as far that many of us will not listen to specific formats ... music be damned

Or maybe I was just explaining my experience as a musician vs an audiophile? No hidden agendas here or any need to rationalize anything thankyouverymuch.

 

[Diapason]

I think it's way simpler: some people care about audio, some don't. Some people are musicians, some aren't. Some musicians care about audio, some don't.

But people of all stripes seem to feel the need to explain the superiority of THEIR opinion.

 

[NorthStar]

i have 2 friends that are musicians and they both have terrible audio systems. When I ask them do they ever plan on getting a better system there answer is why. They say they don't need a better system because they can just fill in the sound they are not hearing through their imagination. They say non-musicians like myself have to hear everything in order to enjoy it. They say musicians know how to fill in the gaps and don't need a better system. I wonder if there is scientific evidence to back this up. Or are they just blowing smoke up my ass.

Musicians/artists are a funny breed. They don't have time to listen like we do...they create that sound we listen to...their time is into creating (playing the music)...not enough time for them to do like we do.

That's from the professional musicians I know...and I know a bunch.

I give you an example...with a different type of profession...acting in Hollywood movies; some of the best actors don't even watch movies.
They simply don't have the time...the real working ones. And when they retire they do something else...like cooking, gardening, painting, travelling.

My next door neighbor is a pro musician, and painter...and yet he has just a Bose radio (he gave it to his wife), and his TV is a 37" one, with no sound system.
One of my uncles is a pro singer/musician; he has a small ghetto blaster and a laptop.
I can tell you several stories about my own family people and how they listen to music and watch movies...you would say that it is the majority of people like that.

It is us who are the real audiophile maniacs. ...The rest of the population is normal. ;-) ...And I believe that I'm right; from conventional wisdom.
Thing is, too many people are too conventional...but then, what is truly conventional...what we do or what they do? ;-)

Yes, you are right; some of the best musicians don't have a decent sound system, and they don't listen to the greatest music...it's just like that.
Are they better off? Most likely. :b

Oh, and your friend is 100% right; he can reconstruct in his own imagination what's missing...that, is the true essence of an artist musician.
To know one is to understand. :b

This is a fun thread...we are all funny...musicians and non-musicians...music lovers with a Bose radio or some' else. :b

 

[JackD201]

I'm not surprised that musicians' priorities differ from that of their own audiences. A musician's actual location when creating music is just so different from that of an audience member. It is a totally different frame of reference with regards to what sounds right. I can see how musicians can fill in the gaps where we might not. It may even be safe to say that we go to extents too extreme in order to hear it all. I will say this, my own obsession with "hearing it all" is that I can't write or play music worth a damn. I am in constant awe of composers and artists because of my own relative deficiency in talent. This awe leads me to do the best I can in order to best appreciate what musicians put out there. I would guess that if I did have chops I certainly would be expending my time and effort creating rather than reproducing.

As for those musicians that thumb their noses at our "craziness" I have this to say, you should appreciate that we care. Save your condescendence for those that have no qualms to critique you without ever even making the effort of understanding what sacrifices your art requires more so the effort to comprehend your artistic vision.

 

[NorthStar]

You cannot remove the stars inside an artist/musician, you just can't.

 

[Ron Resnick]

There are so many examples of musicians having crappy stereo systems that I think it is almost axiomatic. It seems that musicians can listen "through" the technically poor (from an audiophile point of view) sound to the underlying essence of the music. The idea that musicians fill in the gaps where non-musician audiophiles might not be able to definitely seems to be part of the explanation.

 

[Barry]

For most of the last twenty years while working I made round trips in the wee hours of the morning between CT and PA so I've had hundreds of hours more musical experiences in the car than with my home audio system. One night I listened to Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) sing the same song "Don't Get Me Wrong" for well over an hour. I even figured out how to enhance the musical experience and "fill in the gaps" as you say. I turned it up really loud and rolled down the windows. Unforgettable.....

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

There are so many examples of musicians having crappy stereo systems that I think it is almost axiomatic. It seems that musicians can listen "through" the technically poor (from an audiophile point of view) sound to the underlying essence of the music. The idea that musicians fill in the gaps where non-musician audiophiles might not be able to definitely seems to be part of the explanation.

I can completely agree with this Ron

 

[caesar]

I think people just have to accept that audiophilia is a different hobby that has some overlaps with music. The extent of overlap differs from person to person. But just being an audiophile doesn't mean one understands music, cares for it, or vice versa, even though the phrase "now I am only listening to music" is often repeated on such forums.

Right on! From psychology and economics, the technical terms are “hedonic adaptation” by psychologists and "declining marginal utility by economists. By being exposed to something over a period of time, we get used to it and it becomes our reference.

For the majority in Hawaii, the rainbows and the sunsets are just not as special as to the honeymooning tourist. Get that person to Alaska for 5 years and they will again appreciate those sunsets for a little while. We quickly adapt and get less and less pleasure every time. Additionally, as we are getting used to something, after a while, our brain expects to see or hear thing a certain way just because we are used to them. If you are used to listening in one hall or jazz club, another venue may feel strange for a short while until we get used to it.

"Only listening to music", until you need the next bigger high.

 

[Tony Lauck]

My wife was a musician. The last time I asked her to help me evaluate amplifiers she begged off. She said she wasn't interested in the slight differences in sound that were involved. She told me that when she listened to a recording she was, "interested in what the musicians were thinking while they were playing."

 

[Barry2013]

I have heard many accounts of musicians, particularly classical ones, having not the slightest interest in high quality audio systems of their own.
A senior actuary I knew and worked with was a sliver short of international concert standard and had only an inexpensive all in one Denon and I suspect still has something of the same despite now working as a teacher at one of the world's leading music colleges in London.
I could never understand it and the best explanation I was given was as set out in earlier posts that in effect they hear what they want to hear, but it still puzzles me.