Phalangees
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2010
- Posts
- 32
- Likes
- 10
I'm curious to hear if my experience with music and hearing is different than most.
I used to listen to music with first generation mp3 players (~2001), and $5 earbuds, and enjoyed it immensely. I would listen to music every night as I fell asleep. It was purely active listening, and I loved every minute of it. I felt like I was surrounded by the music; a part of it.
I then obtained my first "nice" earphones, the Shure E2Cs. It was an incredible experience unlike any, and I will never forget it. It was like adding an entire new dimension to the music I had already grown to love. It's cliche, but I got to hear all of my music "for the first time" again! It was fantastic.
Since then, I've been trying to recreate that moment, with no success. The amount I spend on hifi equipment (HE-400, Schiit Magni/Modi, etc.) continues to rise, and yet I can't seem to hit that nirvana I experienced with the first listen through those now-defunct E2Cs. Keep in mind this is over the course of years, but I can't even fall into that feeling of being a part of the music anymore. I don't find active listening to be exciting, and engaging anymore, and it breaks my heart. I used to get chills all the time from music, and it never happens anymore.
Maybe it's just me getting older, and not enjoying the little things like I used to, or maybe it's hearing loss. I'm only 23, but I find that I am symptomatic of hearing loss. I'm seeing a doctor tomorrow and maybe he can enlighten me on whether or not I truly do have hearing loss. I have extreme difficulty understanding what people are saying if there is any background noise, or on the phone, etc.
So I guess my question is -- has anyone else had a similar experience? A "falling-out" with music? Any tips on what I can try, other than purchasing bigger and better gear?
Thanks for reading.
EDIT:
I got my hearing checked by my physician this morning, and he says there are no signs of hearing loss. So my loss of enjoyment must be a mental issue. Maybe it's the fact that I don't "actively" listen to music anymore, and use it as background noise while I work.
I used to listen to music with first generation mp3 players (~2001), and $5 earbuds, and enjoyed it immensely. I would listen to music every night as I fell asleep. It was purely active listening, and I loved every minute of it. I felt like I was surrounded by the music; a part of it.
I then obtained my first "nice" earphones, the Shure E2Cs. It was an incredible experience unlike any, and I will never forget it. It was like adding an entire new dimension to the music I had already grown to love. It's cliche, but I got to hear all of my music "for the first time" again! It was fantastic.
Since then, I've been trying to recreate that moment, with no success. The amount I spend on hifi equipment (HE-400, Schiit Magni/Modi, etc.) continues to rise, and yet I can't seem to hit that nirvana I experienced with the first listen through those now-defunct E2Cs. Keep in mind this is over the course of years, but I can't even fall into that feeling of being a part of the music anymore. I don't find active listening to be exciting, and engaging anymore, and it breaks my heart. I used to get chills all the time from music, and it never happens anymore.
Maybe it's just me getting older, and not enjoying the little things like I used to, or maybe it's hearing loss. I'm only 23, but I find that I am symptomatic of hearing loss. I'm seeing a doctor tomorrow and maybe he can enlighten me on whether or not I truly do have hearing loss. I have extreme difficulty understanding what people are saying if there is any background noise, or on the phone, etc.
So I guess my question is -- has anyone else had a similar experience? A "falling-out" with music? Any tips on what I can try, other than purchasing bigger and better gear?
Thanks for reading.
EDIT:
I got my hearing checked by my physician this morning, and he says there are no signs of hearing loss. So my loss of enjoyment must be a mental issue. Maybe it's the fact that I don't "actively" listen to music anymore, and use it as background noise while I work.