I think we all hear substantially the same thing in the concert hall if we are sitting in the same seat in the concert hall. So why do we end up with audio systems which sound very different?
My theory is that suspension of disbelief is facilitated by emotionally-engaging satisfaction of the particular sonic cues each of us subjectively and idiosyncratically selects for our stereo systems which most directly trigger in our brains our memories of the sound of live music.
Audio components don’t reproduce sound perfectly — either the sound of a single acoustic instrument played live in front of us in a small room, or the overall sonic experience we enjoy in the concert hall. We don’t achieve 100% suspension of disbelief while listening to our stereo systems.
Since our audio components collectively cannot re-create the entire experience we feel in the concert hall each of us chooses components that re-create those particular attributes of sound (sonic cues) we hear in the concert hall which subjectively maximize our personal suspension of disbelief. Which particular attributes of sound are most important to us as conduits -- as cues -- to maximizing our personal suspension of disbelief is subjective. Different audio components will be used by different audiophiles to achieve certain cues.
Focusing on different cues to select subjectively different components for our audio systems results in our audio systems sounding different from each other. This is why our different stereo systems sound so different, even though we all are hearing substantially the same thing in the same seat in the concert hall.
Sonic cues may not be recognized consciously or implemented subconsciously until an audiophile has sufficient live music experience and sufficient audio system auditioning experience. But over time and with evolution of an audiophile's experience and discovered preferences an audiophile's component selection and system sound will be driven by the sonic cues he/she selects knowingly or subconsciously.
revised November 22, 2023
My theory is that suspension of disbelief is facilitated by emotionally-engaging satisfaction of the particular sonic cues each of us subjectively and idiosyncratically selects for our stereo systems which most directly trigger in our brains our memories of the sound of live music.
Audio components don’t reproduce sound perfectly — either the sound of a single acoustic instrument played live in front of us in a small room, or the overall sonic experience we enjoy in the concert hall. We don’t achieve 100% suspension of disbelief while listening to our stereo systems.
Since our audio components collectively cannot re-create the entire experience we feel in the concert hall each of us chooses components that re-create those particular attributes of sound (sonic cues) we hear in the concert hall which subjectively maximize our personal suspension of disbelief. Which particular attributes of sound are most important to us as conduits -- as cues -- to maximizing our personal suspension of disbelief is subjective. Different audio components will be used by different audiophiles to achieve certain cues.
Focusing on different cues to select subjectively different components for our audio systems results in our audio systems sounding different from each other. This is why our different stereo systems sound so different, even though we all are hearing substantially the same thing in the same seat in the concert hall.
Sonic cues may not be recognized consciously or implemented subconsciously until an audiophile has sufficient live music experience and sufficient audio system auditioning experience. But over time and with evolution of an audiophile's experience and discovered preferences an audiophile's component selection and system sound will be driven by the sonic cues he/she selects knowingly or subconsciously.
revised November 22, 2023
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