[gregorio]

For example, If you have heard 10-15 amps, when can you safely say that the 16th one you try isn't going to bring any difference of a flavor that the last ones you have heard within that variation ?

Provided you get the right amp for the job (power/impedance), you can safely say that at pretty much any point. With the exception of some deliberately non-linear amps, such as tubes.

When u get both, and no shrill treble or fat bass and a liquid deep midrange that melds with bass and treble, then my son/daughter you have attained nirvana and no more searching or analyzing is needed.

That depends. I listen to a wide variety of music, occasionally a piece deliberately has a shrill treble, a bass that isn’t fat, a mid range that isn’t supposed to be “liquid deep” or meld with bass and treble. I personally don’t want a system that tries to force these traits on to a composition that deliberately isn’t supposed to have them. I just want a high fidelity system, IE. One that doesn’t attempt to change the composition/recording. That’s nirvana for me personally.

G

 

[bagwell359]

Provided you get the right amp for the job (power/impedance), you can safely say that at pretty much any point. With the exception of some deliberately non-linear amps, such as tubes.

That depends. I listen to a wide variety of music, occasionally a piece deliberately has a shrill treble, a bass that isn’t fat, a mid range that isn’t supposed to be “liquid deep” or meld with bass and treble. I personally don’t want a system that tries to force these traits on to a composition that deliberately isn’t supposed to have them. I just want a high fidelity system, IE. One that doesn’t attempt to change the composition/recording. That’s nirvana for me personally.

G

Sorry for lack of clarity. Of course correct playback is the goal. I do not listen to much music that is shrill or harsh. Those days are behind me.

 

[meiunum]

I'm kind of amazed at how many high-end headphones have little to no measurements or reviews. One would think that a company that believes in its product would want to send review products far and wide.

I think a lot of high-fi headphone manufacturers are really selling FOMO, not headphones.

 

[chesebert]

All current TOTL headphones are kind of meh to me. You would be better off spending your money elsewhere. CRBN is the exception here but an expensive proposition for someone without the right amp.

 

[Ciggavelli]

I've been listening to Californication by RHCP, and my god, what the fukc where they thinking in terms of recording and mastering? I have the 24/96 version and it sounds absolutely terrible. I don't think I've heard another "classic" album that sounds this bad. Too bad too, because it is a good album (or at least I used to like it a lot)

 

[BassicScience]

I've been listening to Californication by RHCP, and my god, what the fukc where they thinking in terms of recording and mastering? I have the 24/96 version and it sounds absolutely terrible. I don't think I've heard another "classic" album that sounds this bad. Too bad too, because it is a good album (or at least I used to like it a lot)

That's funny. I recently went back and listened to a bunch of their old albums (for the first time in years). I had the exact same reaction to the recording quality of Californication! OTOH, the remaster of Blood Sugar was a massive improvement on the original release in terms of sound quality.

 

[DJJEZ]

I've been listening to Californication by RHCP, and my god, what the fukc where they thinking in terms of recording and mastering? I have the 24/96 version and it sounds absolutely terrible. I don't think I've heard another "classic" album that sounds this bad. Too bad too, because it is a good album (or at least I used to like it a lot)

Unlistenable for me

 

[F208Frank]

Unlistenable for me

A lot of people talk about this track being recorded/mastered poorly. It is definitely one of my fave songs too, haha.

 

[gregorio]

I've been listening to Californication by RHCP, and my god, what the fukc where they thinking in terms of recording and mastering?

Not sure there’s anything wrong with the recording but the mastering is famously problematic. On the other hand, “what the fukc were they thinking” was obviously at least partly “how many albums can we sell?” and in that regard it’s better than any other RHCP album.

G

 

[Ciggavelli]

This is going to be a weird post (so be warned). I've been taking a bunch of psych meds for like 10 years, but I recently got off almost all of them. Now, that may seem very personal, but it is relevant to head-fi. When I was on all of these meds, I cared mostly about imaging, separation and soundstage. I see music in my mind when I listen to it. So, having that all properly spaced out and imaged made for a very appealing picture. So, I get off these meds, and I don't care about those types of things as much. I'm much more into "musicality" and musical "emotion" now. I find myself not caring so much about what the image looks like in my mind. I care much more about emotion and "toe-tapping" appeal. While I still care about resolution and soundstage, it's not my sole focus anymore.

I bring this up to show an example of how brain chemistry can play a big part in what one likes, how one enjoys music, and what one wants in a pair of headphones. It's kind of crazy to me. There's gotta be some scientific study in there somewhere. I've come to a new realization that it's not always what your ears hear that influences how you perceive music, it's also your brain and it's chemistry. Maybe that was obvious to some, but it wasn't to me. When you take all of these psych drugs (APs and ADs) they kill your emotion. I guess with that, they also kill your emotional connection to music too. Emotions are a weird thing. It's weird to feel them again

 

[chesebert]

Feels like a bit TMI for a headphone forum….

 

[Ciggavelli]

Feels like a bit TMI for a headphone forum….

Maybe it is, but I don't care. I'm an anonymous person on here. I was just very surprised that medications could influence how I perceive music. Maybe others can relate

 

[chesebert]

Not surprised at all. We have been using different levels of toxic substances to augment our listening pleasure for decades

 

[paradoxper]

Maybe it is, but I don't care. I'm an anonymous person on here. I was just very surprised that medications could influence how I perceive music. Maybe others can relate

Just send me all of your unused medication now please.

 

[gregorio]

There's gotta be some scientific study in there somewhere. I've come to a new realization that it's not always what your ears hear that influences how you perceive music, it's also your brain and it's chemistry.

Actually, there’s an entire field of science devoted specifically to this (psychoacoustics) and a great deal of research, starting well over a century ago.

Maybe that was obvious to some, but it wasn't to me.

It’s natural to assume that what you experience (see/hear) is “reality” because that’s the only reference to reality we usually have. On the other hand, we’ve known for centuries that what we perceive and what we actually hear and see are not entirely the same thing. Visual and aural illusions demonstrate that fact, although exactly how and why many of these illusions work has been discovered only relatively recently and is still an ongoing area of research. Another factor for you (and others) not knowing is that the audiophile world tends to downplay or entirely dismiss areas of proven/demonstrated psychoacoustics, for marketing purposes.

G