Hifi and getting old

Walter66

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For this, I love the internet and its free music channels. What choices did we have back in the old days of analog? Radio was there, but always the moderator spoke into the music until the voice of the singer came into the play, so recording wasn't easy. TV was there so we recorded via microphone on cassette, noise of the room included. And the music magazines, but they can't contain music, like it's easy to implement in digital mags today. So this is a much better world when it comes to explore new music. I use the interet widely for exploration, and when it comes to interesting new albums or bands, always ask whether it's available on vinyl first. I'm in my mid 50's and everything about hearing is normal.
 

Kal Rubinson

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This short essay hardly makes the case that nature is not analog.
I'm sooo confused...
Easy to be confused if one is trying to force labels on something as multivariate and complex as "nature." I can point to neural mechanisms which are "quantile" and use them to say that the function is digital. I can also point to neural mechanisms which are "continuously variable" and use them to say that the function is analog. I cannot, as a result, say that brain is either and, by extension, that "nature" is either. Those labels external concepts which humans apply in their efforts to understand "nature."
 
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Kal Rubinson

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Funny that some have mentioned analog. I have been a true-blue analog fan for most close to 50 years now. Now that I am in my mid-60s, I am seriously looking forward to the day when I can retire my analog rig and thousands of records for the convenience of a streamer.
I have found that since I have left behind vinyl/analog and, more recently, even silver disc playback that I have a more direct connection to the music. With speakers that are successful at "disappearing," i.e., good at the illusion of being visually and audibly disassociated from the sound, I click on what I want to hear and the music simply appears in space.
 
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rando

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Frankly I'm not surprised by your comments; given your very digital system. Nature is analog and if you're older your body knows better and as they say, listen to your body!

david

The natural movement is always there to remind us that even the worst day of analog suffering is far better than a moment of digital intrusion. :p

 

PeterA

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I have found that since I have left behind vinyl/analog and, more recently, even silver disc playback that I have a more direct connection to the music. With speakers that are successful at "disappearing," i.e., good at the illusion of being visually and audibly disassociated from the sound, I click on what I want to hear and the music simply appears in space.

Music appears on my windshield when I turn on the radio on my truck. Listening to my main system in my living room is about a different kind of experience. I’m willing to put up with the hassle of playing vinyl records for that experience.
 

Alrainbow

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Can you in plane terms what analog is and digital in a comparison. Our brain does resample sight and hearing . But while it does its still an analog source.

And it is well known that the eye retina is digital - it is why analog purists listen with closed eyes. ?































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Yes, we should persuade young audiophiles to use absorbers in their ears to reduce bandwidth when evaluating equipment.































































































































Can you explain digital verses analog on parts of out anatimy .















hearing as both perform a constant resample































































































































A case can be made resample,
 

Kal Rubinson

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Music appears on my windshield when I turn on the radio on my truck. Listening to my main system in my living room is about a different kind of experience. I’m willing to put up with the hassle of playing vinyl records for that experience.
I don't have a truck and I do not listen to music in my car. I listen at home for the quality of the experience and do what is possible to optimize it. Vinyl is not relevant to that for me.
 

microstrip

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Music appears on my windshield when I turn on the radio on my truck. Listening to my main system in my living room is about a different kind of experience. I’m willing to put up with the hassle of playing vinyl records for that experience.

Well, although I now play mainly digital, vinyl has never been an hassle to me, except when I had to align cartridges with round contours ...
 

treitz3

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I´ll start streaming when I´ve played all my records.....and tapes
LOL....if you are like me? You will not have enough time to get to streaming with all that we have.

With that said, I lost the goosebumps for a while and wondered the same thing. Yet, I kept chasing it. While it may have taken me 3 or 4 years? I got it back. Now, they are consistently reliable, whether it be new tracks or the same ones I used to get goose bumps on.

You may look into what changed.

For me, it was the loss of my beloved preamp. While it took me years to get back to where I was? I couldn't be happier with the progress I've made since that time. It's the pursuit that is sometimes so much fun!

Tom
 

Mike Lavigne

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i'm all the way to old, past the getting there part. and music can = goosebumps for me in various ways, in various situations, for various reasons. my hearing never seems to be limiting to my musical enjoyment...so far. i can enjoy the music in my car (when i'm not listening to sports talk, music from Sirius XM or maybe the local jazz fm station) as background or somewhat focused and not get hung up on what it's not doing sonically relative to my big rig. i can often be touched and emotionally involved if the moment and musical content is right. my whole life i've enjoyed music in my car so it's natural for me.

then there is in my in-home music on the Sonos my wife is playing. i appreciate it. and it can be special here and there. my "barn" big rig music, if anything, gives me more goosebumps today than ever. it can be digital, streaming or files, vinyl, and tape. i just expect to be captured and transported and i am.

vinyl a hassle? not when i'm in the vinyl mood. my vinyl logistics are well sorted out, my muscle memory is dialed in. these last 2-3 weeks i had lots of balls in the air work-wise, travel wise, and home-wise. lots of stuff on my mind and just not able to sit back and calm down. so digital was where i was at as i could be passive and just recover, fall asleep if i needed to, and yet i knew the digital music that could get me what i needed. and it delivered.

now this morning i've had a couple days to unwind from the chaos and i'm spinning vinyl and it's perfect. got some newly arrived pressings recommended by jazdoc that i'm enjoying and i'm feeling good......plenty of suspension of disbelief and goosebumps here and there.
 
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PeterA

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vinyl a hassle? not when i'm in the vinyl mood. my vinyl logistics are well sorted out, my muscle memory is dialed in. these last 2-3 weeks i had lots of balls in the air work-wise, travel wise, and home-wise. lots of stuff on my mind and just not able to sit back and calm down. so digital was where i was at as i could be passive and just recover, fall asleep if i needed to, and yet i knew the digital music that could get me what i needed. and it delivered.

Mike, I was joking about vinyl being a hassle. I’ve just read a bunch of posts lately describing it as such, but I actually love the process of selection and dropping the needle. I don’t know if I’ll feel the same way as I continue to age, but for me it’s actually part of the whole experience. We each make our choices. With so many, you are in a good position as the mood strikes you.
 

Fishfood

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Where did the goosebumps go? Do we just get hard as we age or does diminished hearing play a role? Soundstage and imaging has never been better in my room yet my ability to get pulled into the music is getting more and more difficult. I want to try throwing more money at the problem because I miss the ride. My mind could make moving pictures out of nearly anything I played, now gone! The goosebumps from crescendos that specific songs would never fail to give me also mia. Home hearing tests show I can still hear what the mic in my cell phone can measure, so at least my hearing isn't damaged. Perhaps a lack of new music from my generation, idk
I would try a different paradigm of speakers, whether a horn or a studio monitor or even an electrostatic. I think it would really refresh your ears. Through my many years of listening, a switch of style of speaker has always been exciting and welcome. I look forward to revisiting some of them again, especially electrostatics!
 
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steve59

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I appreciate all the thoughts offered here. It is a relief to find hearing degeneration isn't affecting anyone's appreciation for music. I have more to add after I get back from listening to those new Flagship Dali's
 

PeterA

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Frankly I'm not surprised by your comments; given your very digital system. Nature is analog and if you're older your body knows better and as they say, listen to your body!

david

Good advice David. And sometimes change is necessary. I didn’t know what I was missing until I was exposed to it. After learning from experimenting and getting a better idea of what I wanted, I increased my exposure and did a U-turn. Now I look forward to listening every day.

Analog is a big part of that, but it is how the music is delivered and the experience you have hearing it that matters. The body is a good indicator.
 
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Ron Resnick

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. . . vinyl has never been an hassle to me, except when I had to align cartridges with round contours ...

I do not know what is your definition of “hassle,” but compared to holding an iPad and playing any music you want with a tap or two vinyl undeniably is a hassle.
 

bonzo75

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Well, although I now play mainly digital, vinyl has never been an hassle to me, except when I had to align cartridges with round contours ...

so you don’t clean your LPs, use the brush, and for carts without round contours you don’t use anti skating, SRA, VTA? Your cart never had to be re tipped? You used a forsell, was that simple as well with no re adjustment of tone arm required? Additionally use your vacuum or any static removal

Btw I am not addressing any tweaks here just basic requirements. You could get different protractors, analog magik or Wally tools

and you haven’t spent time organising your LPs?

And still music won’t be at your fingertips unless you have a massive collection with each LP easy to pick out
 
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PeterA

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so you don’t clean your LPs, use the brush, and for carts without round contours you don’t use anti skating, SRA, VTA? Your cart never had to be re tipped? You used a forsell, was that simple as well with no re adjustment of tone arm required? Additionally use your vacuum or any static removal

Btw I am not addressing any tweaks here just basic requirements. You could get different protractors, analog magik or Wally tools

and you haven’t spent time organising your LPs?

And still music won’t be at your fingertips unless you have a massive collection with each LP easy to pick out

Do not forget making sure the platter is level, the speed is correct, and adjusting the belt or thread tension for preferred sound.
 
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bonzo75

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Do not forget making sure the platter is level, the speed is correct, and adjusting the belt or thread tension for preferred sound.

he is probably using these 200 USD ones just plug and play
 

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