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I Just Don't Hear It - I wish I did

I am frustrated because I am an audiophile who cannot discern details from so many of the methods praised by other audiophiles. I joke about not having golden ears. That said, I can easily discern and appreciate good soundstage, image, balance, tone, timbre, transparency and even the synergy of a system. I am however unable to hear the improvements that result from, say a piece of Teflon tape or a $5.00 item from the plumbing aisle at Home Depot. Furthermore, I think it is grossly unfair that I must pay in multiples of one hundred, or even one thousand just to gain relatively slight improvements in transparency, detail, timbre soundstage, etc., when other audiophiles can gain the same level of details from a ten dollar tweak. In an effort to sooth my frustration, I tell myself that my fellow audiophiles are experiencing a placebo effect of some sort. Does anyone else struggle to hear….no wait; does anyone else struggle to comprehend how someone else can hear the perceived benefits gained by the inclusion of any number of highly touted tweaks/gimmicks (brass screws, copper couplers, Teflon tape, maple hardwood, racquet balls, etc.) I mean, the claims are that these methods actually result in improved soundstage, image, detail (“blacker backgrounds”), clarity, bass definition, etc.
Am I alone in my frustration here?
2chnlben
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
Actually, I am like Sounds_real also on this.

I do not sweat changes that make small differences.

I have found some "tweaks" can make a big difference though, often similar in magnitude to a change from one good source or amp to another.

I don't know if I'd say I've ever heard a tweak make as much difference as can be had by changing speakers though.

Tweaks also have smaller downsides when they don't work out for the better than the other bigger changes.
2chnlben OP
595 posts
 
Tbg -

That's not the case. I truly want to hear the differences. Now, it may certainly be possible that I am unable to hear real differences because of...say, poor hearing, inferior electronics, etc. I highly doubt it. For certain though, my NOT hearing a difference with some tweaks has absolutely nothing to do with...as you put it, perceptual bias.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
I completely agree that tweaks reslt in small changes when compared to
swapping components or speakers, which usually result in larger changes.

I don't prefer one over the other because I view them as totally different parts
of the process.

I view tweaking as something one does when their components and speakers
are satisfying and no further changes are expected in those areas. Then,
tweaks become fine tuning.

It doesn't make sense to expect tweaks to make large adjustments in a
system's sound. If that's the goal, then either a component or the speakers
need to be changed.

The benefit of buying used accessories, or by utilizing home trial periods is
that the accessory can be resold or returned if it makes no difference in the
system. It's a zero sum game.

Finally, there's no reason to be frustrated by not hearing the differences made
by tweaks. Everyone's system, expectations, and perceptions differ. We're not
clones.
2chnlben OP
595 posts
 
I view tweaking as something one does when their components and speakers
are satisfying and no further changes are expected in those areas. Then,
tweaks become fine tuning.

It doesn't make sense to expect tweaks to make large adjustments in a
system's sound. If that's the goal, then either a component or the speakers
need to be changed.

Spot on Tvad…well said! Yet, there are many who profess to hearing significant changes when incorporating a variety of relatively minor tweaks. Time and time again, we read that someone has improved the soundstage, detail, clarity, transparency, etc.; and furthermore, these same persons combine words like, “huge,” “night-and day,” “immediate,” “very noticeable,” etc., so that the claim is - for example, “a night and day difference in the soundstage, or bass definition.” Really? All from that brass screw, or those expensive footers, cheap coupler, Teflon tape, etc.

For me, that is kind of an insult to my meager intelligence. I just can’t believe that anyone can (significantly) improve soundstage, transparency, inner detail, bass definition, etc. by incorporating some of these minor tweaks. Note, I did not say that it is not possible to enhance a system’s performance by fine-tuning it with tweaks…I say that these so-called really significant improvements cannot be attained by minor tweaking (and, after all, a night-and-day difference in the sound floor, bass control, frequency extension, clarity, transparency, etc., is a HUGE and significant improvement).
shadorne's avatar
shadorne
7,333 posts
 
2Chlnben,

I spend hours to A/B stuff. I guess I have tin ears like yourself. I try to use a remote to control what I am listening to without having to move. I also use a meter to carefuly match volume levels for comparisons.

My experience is that it is easy to hear a difference but it is very hard to ensure the difference is not simply down to head position, volume level or from a different focus or attention that one inevitably places on the music as one repeats a track or a combination of all of these.

Some differences are distinctly audible. Four corner tri-traps was definitely audible at the listening position (with careful listening) and extremely obvious as you aproach the traps (in the room corners which is not a normal listening position but confirms they do something)

Differences between Benchmark DAC1 and an ordinary CD player were not clearly evident to a friend of mine but they were to me (once I knew what to listen for I could identify which was which). Nevertheless the difference was small compared to the effects of a room or speaker.

I'd recommend Alton Everests "Critical Listening Skills for Audio Professionals" for those who want to hone their skills.
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