i also view comparing-testing as a hassle. it is exhausting, since listening to details and writing my impressions takes away from simply enjoying the music, which is what i sit in front of my system for. i *love* not to think about the equipment, and simply sit and enjoy the music. but sometimes it needs to be done, especially when i buy a new piece that was considered an upgrade, and i am sitting there thinking i liked my old setup better.
i also have two or three audiophile friends, and one of them falls into the sceptic "if it's good enough, it's impossible to hear differences" school, and oddly enough he is a compulsive equipment and cable upgrader. it would strain the friendship if i got into it too much, since on occasion he is in these forums. :-) i'd rather say it is about (1) establishing your listening preferences (2) once you have a good system that expresses them, upgrades adhere to the law of diminishing returns. unless you change preferences for a while, which is why i can't part with some of my favorite pieces. it is fun to rotate stuff and listening to music differently... i typically like transistor amps, but i keep a tube one for kicks, even though i do tire of it after a month. anyhow, as with any other prized possession, in audiophilia some people fall into their trap of declaring their momentary preference and gear universal religion. everybody be honest - raise your hand if you vow to never buy a new piece of gear because your current system is flawless. liar. in a few years at most you'll get the itch again. :-) so the other question becomes - if you're hung up on tests, is it to justify to yourself and others that you made a superior choice? just listen to music and establish what you like the most. we don't owe anyone pseudo-science to "prove" anything. and chances are that, because you are the tester, any test will tell more about your preferences than about most of the equipment you listen to. whatever test you do, you *are* part of the setup. Heisenberg uncertainty principle in full effect - the observer predetermines the outcome. ...pablo Server: Virtual Machine running Ubuntu 12.04 + LMS 7.7.3 on VMware Player System: SB Touch --optical->- Benchmark DAC2HGC --AnalysisPlus Oval Copper XLR->- NAD M22 Power Amp --AnalysisPlus Black Mesh Oval->- Totem Element Fire Other Rooms: 2x SB Boom; 1x SB Radio; 1x SB Classic-> MusicalFidelity M1PWR -> Totem DreamCatcher Computer audio: workstation --USB->- audioengine D1 -> Grado PS500e ------------------------------------------------------------------------ pablolie's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3816 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=102632 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
