Thursday morning musings while listening to my newest aquisition: The Eletech Ode to Laura.
What is the value of a portable audio device that you can take anywhere with you? How
much does that matter? For me, the marriage of the two should determine the way we "invest" into our audio journey.
Growing up, music has been a vital part of my life. It gave me a leg to stand on when I was backed up against the wall. It allowed me to focus and drown out the cacophony of the many distractions that adds up to what we call life. As an artform, it continually gives me a peek into the human condition of the past and present.
There's been a few moments so far in my audio journey that gave me butterflies. The same type you get during your first flight. There is a moment where you have doubt. Then you get the butterflies. The Oriolus Traillii did just that. I remember listening to Armin Van Buurens Mirage, a song I've listened to so many times, every melodic progression burned into my skull. Listening to it on the Traillii was a mind altering experience. Chords that I didn't know existed were created out of thin air. Shortly after, I got emotional. It shined a spotlight of a memory of that 1st year university student browsing audio shops. At the time, I had to think hard about purchasing $300 earphones.
Jumping back into the present, I've been curious about cable upgrades. For my 33rd birthday, I decided to take the plunge and ordered the Ode to Laura. When I read somewhere that cables had the most diminishing returns, my reptile brain decided "hey we should maximize that difference!
".
Was it worth it?
My first impressions. Disclaimer: I am not a cable expert. YMMV.
Wow. Even after the first song, the differences to my ears was as big as jumping from my Shanling UP5 to the N8ii (the delta difference).
Compared to stock, the biggest change was an increase in treble energy. It had a faster, tighter bass, more holographic and even cleaner black backround. Compared to stock, it leans towards a brighter tuning. While listening to electronic music, a veil was lifted. One potential negative was that for metal music, the treble energy. This is something I'll continue to tweak N8ii settings.
Like all highs and lows, I am sure that this feeling will subside and my hedonistic curiousity will continue to push for more. For the moment, I am savoring this moment. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to indulge in this hobby.
More impressions to come.
- Nate