TenderTendon
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2016
- Posts
- 313
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- 115
Not literally, of course. We all know that's not possible, right? If it is possible, Mods please move this to the "Sound Science" forum, as I'll need to do some catching up. I'm talking about a piece(s) of audio equipment that was able to make you feel that you were somewhere else, even if just for a second. During my 54 years on this planet, I've only had the pleasure to experience this twice.
The first time: When I was about 15 years old (late 70's), I used to spend a lot of time hanging out at a local stereo shop. There were 4 listening rooms, but the one that haunted me was the room in the back, where all the really good stuff was. I managed to take a peek in there several times, but never actually went in. Kids were never allowed back there. One day, one of the salesmen asked me if I wanted to go in the back and listen to some stuff. He must have been bored or just felt sorry for me. Of course I said yes. I was in complete awe the entire time I was in there. One of the things he had me listen to was a pair a very large speakers located in the corners. They were Klipschorn's, but I didn't know that at the time. I was waiting for the salesman to start a song, when I hear this loud, slamming sound that compressed my entire body. He didn't say a word. I had goosebumps all over. Right then and there, I was sitting inside of a car, with someone closing the door. He was playing a demo tape of sound effects, and one of them was an extremely good recording of a car door being slammed shut, with the microphone inside the car. He played it several times for me, and every time it transported me to the seat of an automobile, no matter how hard I tried to prepare for it. I was very confused about what I just listened to. Spooky..
The second time (35 years later): I was thinking about getting a new pair of headphones and was fortunate enough to have quite a bit of expendable cash at the time, so I got the Sennheiser HD800S. I spent quite a bit of time with them, enjoying my favorite tunes all over again. I was very happy with them. On night, I was laying in my recliner listening, and John Mayer's "Gravity" starts playing. I hadn't heard this song yet on the 800's. I am immediately transported to the stage of a small bar, 20 years ago. I spent most of my life as a working guitar player. I always stand stage left, with a drummer just to my right. Because of this, a high hat cymbal in my right ear is something that I know very, very well. The high hat cymbal on that song is recorded so well and the 800S reproduces it so accurately that it can put me on a stage, listening to a live drummer. No other phones, with this song, or any other has ever given me this feeling. A very rare, unique synergy.
If anyone else has any stories to share, please do. If you have never experienced something like this, I hope you get the chance. It is really something.
The first time: When I was about 15 years old (late 70's), I used to spend a lot of time hanging out at a local stereo shop. There were 4 listening rooms, but the one that haunted me was the room in the back, where all the really good stuff was. I managed to take a peek in there several times, but never actually went in. Kids were never allowed back there. One day, one of the salesmen asked me if I wanted to go in the back and listen to some stuff. He must have been bored or just felt sorry for me. Of course I said yes. I was in complete awe the entire time I was in there. One of the things he had me listen to was a pair a very large speakers located in the corners. They were Klipschorn's, but I didn't know that at the time. I was waiting for the salesman to start a song, when I hear this loud, slamming sound that compressed my entire body. He didn't say a word. I had goosebumps all over. Right then and there, I was sitting inside of a car, with someone closing the door. He was playing a demo tape of sound effects, and one of them was an extremely good recording of a car door being slammed shut, with the microphone inside the car. He played it several times for me, and every time it transported me to the seat of an automobile, no matter how hard I tried to prepare for it. I was very confused about what I just listened to. Spooky..
The second time (35 years later): I was thinking about getting a new pair of headphones and was fortunate enough to have quite a bit of expendable cash at the time, so I got the Sennheiser HD800S. I spent quite a bit of time with them, enjoying my favorite tunes all over again. I was very happy with them. On night, I was laying in my recliner listening, and John Mayer's "Gravity" starts playing. I hadn't heard this song yet on the 800's. I am immediately transported to the stage of a small bar, 20 years ago. I spent most of my life as a working guitar player. I always stand stage left, with a drummer just to my right. Because of this, a high hat cymbal in my right ear is something that I know very, very well. The high hat cymbal on that song is recorded so well and the 800S reproduces it so accurately that it can put me on a stage, listening to a live drummer. No other phones, with this song, or any other has ever given me this feeling. A very rare, unique synergy.
If anyone else has any stories to share, please do. If you have never experienced something like this, I hope you get the chance. It is really something.
