HiFi and mental well-being

[Ken1951]

Music, yes. I don't think about equipment at all. I like this site, but won't replace anything unless it dies. My setups both sound great to me. So it's no-stress music enjoyment!

 

[Katji]

I've felt through most of my career that I could live without 'the gear' (yeah, because I was playing with it all at work), but I CANNOT live without some music in my life, however reproduced! retirement looming in a very few months, I've been in a bit of turmoil really as regards the future direction of my sound system(s). I tried going six months without a music system once many years ago and it drove me mad (more mad than I usually am!).

[.....]

OK, it means I can't ever again really comment on hearing a new or different speaker unless a known reference is there with which to compare, but that doesn't matter now (why I favour detailed measurements to help build a 'picture' of a product). My local 'audio salon' is planning another local 'HiFi Show' I understand and it'll be interesting to see if the aids are noticed and what kind of sarcastic/humorous reaction I'll get (it's fun returning what's left of my barnet into semi-hippy mode so partially hiding the aids behind my ears, compared to the cloned shorn/scalped-sheep look that's commonplace around these parts these days).

So back to the OP. MUSIC is a life need here, but the gear far less so nowadays... A bit like petrolheads who really need to learn to drive properly first, realising thereafter that 'roadcraft' can be more important than the fancy 'p***s extension life crisis tin box' they're sitting in and operating

Scalped sheep LOL Just realised that what I sometimes see on tv is like it was done at the poodle parlour.

 

[DSJR]

Scalped sheep LOL Just realised that what I sometimes see on tv is like it was done at the poodle parlour.

We have a lot of Turks here now set up as barbers. Cloned shorn sheep is the result usually, even on very old fellas where it looks a bit daft.... Not that I want to emulate Mr Guttenberg, but a kind of halfway house now befits my ageing hippy standards and covering the tops at least of my ears at least has a genuine reason rather than laziness (I'm not as follically blessed as Danny Richie, sadly...)

 

[ThatM1key]

I'm one of those people that like to nit-pick about features, and I'll generally replace an item even if it was working. I just love to deep dive in the specs/manual before I buy and by doing that it does stress me at times. I'm not one of those people that buy's items just because there "hot and new", I buy items if my overall experience changes not little experience changes.

I guess the most stress I've experienced in my music hobby would be when I was into records. Just like with my digital music, I wanted the best experience out of it. I had the right equipment (JVC QL-A7, Grado Black2, Sansui 2000A) but most of my media was cheap shit ($2 records) and the before-play prep work, it was ultimately unrewarding. I did have good records I enjoyed from the 1980s and I did enjoy them but not as much as my digital stuff. Yeah I did buy a few new records but over time It started to feel like a novelty since the CD versions used the same master, were cheaper and sounded better. I gave most of my record collection away and sold all my record players. I still have a analog hobby and its cassette tapes still. Tapes sound a bit better then vinyl, smaller/easier to store, cheaper to buy and the playing experience is a lot better.

 

[Indy]

I may have taken a somewhat different route from others. I never felt any particular fondness for much so called 'hi-fi' equipment, at least speakers, so much of it was all tizz and boom, as far as I am concerned - not what I would consider hi-fidelity.

Anyhow, I have the opposite problem to the one you describe. I have a relatively cheap pair of speakers that I can't seem to upgrade in that, for all their flaws (some of which are certainly bested by other speakers), they have a certain correctness to the sound that has not been surpassed by anything I have heard (that I can afford), including some speakers costing many times more.

I'd like to 'upgrade', but I can't and I'm having real difficulty finding out what I would consider an upgrade without having to lay down cash that will then be lost if what I buy is not to taste.

Maybe I should be grateful, who knows?

In the right room, I have heard inexpensive sound really good. Needless to say I was amazed. Tried the same pair in my acoustical space and the magic disappeared.

 

[MRC01]

... Over time one can learn to overcome upgraditis and be happy with and enjoy music rather than always wondering if this and that could be improved leading to more enjoyment. ...

... Endless measurements and infinite combinations of crossover settings, delays, PEQ and house curves - the upside being that the only expense / investment needed is my time

In the right room, I have heard inexpensive sound really good. Needless to say I was amazed. ...

I've had the same amp for 29 years, the same headphones for 23 years, the same speakers for 21 years, DACs and preamps kept improving so I've had my current ones for only 3 years but plan to keep it forever. Testing with REW, mics and other equipment says all this equipment still functions like new. The room is where it's at - arrangement & treatment - gets 90% of the credit for whatever sound quality we hear, for better (hopefully) or for worse.

When tweak-itis strikes I take some new measurements of different room arrangements and play with EQ. Sometimes I discover something new. But now that I know my audio system is dialed in, I spend most of my audio time exploring different music. This is great for my mental and emotional health.

 

[seaninbrisbane]

I had reached what I thought was peak audio (for me anyway), but for some reason sold it all and bought Devialet Phantom speakers on a whim. Over the past few years I had chopped and changed components, cables, and layout, but was never content. I'm just enjoying the music now and have stopped looking at classified ads and cable debates.

 

[tiramisu]

Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) is something I go through in cycles. As a serial hobbyist, my disease shows itself in many forms. Happily, I have a limited budget.

 

[puppet]

Before I retired I'd use music to get me into a proper frame of mind while at work. Differing tasks required different genres. Some days people would walk into our shop and be driven out by the SPL and other days they'd remark how relaxing the atmosphere was. Made the day just fly by.

 

[mrbungle]

A bit of alone time with headphones and daily exercise are the most effective and fun ways to cope with stress for me. I try to enjoy things that last me a long time, I guess people call this BIFL these days. Sometimes this gets a little bit silly, right now I’m starting to root for the death of my 12 year old Sony TV, but works for me to avoid shopping as an unhealthy coping mechanism.

 

[tvih]

I definitely tend to play music all the time unless I'm doing something else with sound (like watching movies), especially in the last couple of years. It's of course enjoyable on its own right, but also for example when I go out it's my shield against the world, being an ADHD/aspie hermit In general I don't like random noises, so music helps mask such things. And it also helps me fall asleep better, as I discovered sometime last year after a more extended period of listening to music at low-level when going to bed.

I will say that due to the neurodivergences it can be very hard to resist buying things if your silly brain decides to hone in on something. Also research into gear options can easily get too obsessive and time-consuming, especially when considering lower-value purchases. "Time is money", so suddenly they were expensive purchases indeed. Or if I didn't end up buying, expensive nothingness Limited finances and a wealth of other money-hogging interests really doesn't help, since it feeds the obsession of trying to get the best value for money. Something of an allergy to used gear doesn't help either, though I've been trying to overcome that.

Also I suppose mainly due to the ADHD part I reckon my listening is very different from most people. I tend to focus more on the overall sonic experience. For example I generally have little to no idea what the lyrics are about even in my favorite songs. I quickly lose track trying to focus on them for any length of time, and even if I manage to, I forget 'em in about five seconds anyway! I hear how the vocals sound, but without really getting the message, basically. So in a more concrete sense than for most the vocals really usually end up being "just" another instrument.

 

[deniall83]

It’s good to hear you found a way calm your mind and enjoy the music. Take care .

Alcohol helps too. Unfortunately that leads to other problems.

 

[Doodski]

now that I know my audio system is dialed in, I spend most of my audio time exploring different music. This is great for my mental and emotional health.

Ditto. I'm the same. I entered into audio equipment study as a need to augment my music listening pleasure and it evolved into employment and careers. Now the equipment and the music are hobbies although the music is what I spend most of my time with.

 

[Doodski]

Before I retired I'd use music to get me into a proper frame of mind while at work. Differing tasks required different genres. Some days people would walk into our shop and be driven out by the SPL and other days they'd remark how relaxing the atmosphere was. Made the day just fly by.

Hehe. One electronics repair shop I worked at we played Pantera Vulgar Display of Power near everyday. Some customers loved it and others stated they thought it unprofessional although we where all specialists in our chosen areas of expertise and so they swallowed their distaste of the music and had us repair their gear anyway. It's all about the music for me and not the gear although I chose gear that sounds decent.

 

[Doodski]

Alcohol helps too. Unfortunately that leads to other problems.

I sip booze usually and mix and match it to my food intake and then every month or maybe more I binge drink. It clears my mind and is like a reset.

 

[jsrtheta]

Up until 1996 I had a decent HK system with Boston Acoustic speakers. And I enjoyed it.

Then I started making more money and I went berserk. I bought, I traded, I sold, whatever new shiny toys the mags were pushing and for a time convinced me I had to have. It cost me a lot of money for virtually no gain.

Strangely, it was a salesman at a high end store who brought me up short. "You're listening to the gear, not the music," he said. Boy was he right. Strange where you find the truth some times.

Most of my current kit is used. And I've got the sound I want, and I listen to music, not gear. I left the obsessive/compulsive behavior behind and started to relax. I don't worry if what I have is the best, or even close to the best. I do know it sounds great and that blowing more money won't likely improve what I have.

I love coming here and learning, but I don't obsess about it anymore.

I sleep a lot better, too.

 

[MRC01]

... Strangely, it was a salesman at a high end store who brought me up short. "You're listening to the gear, not the music," he said. Boy was he right. Strange where you find the truth some times. ...

Most audiophiles use music to listen to their equipment.
Music lovers use their equipment to listen to music.
Your metamorphosis is common to this hobby. We should have 12 step programs to help people transition from the first to the second group.

 

[deniall83]

Up until 1996 I had a decent HK system with Boston Acoustic speakers. And I enjoyed it.

Then I started making more money and I went berserk. I bought, I traded, I sold, whatever new shiny toys the mags were pushing and for a time convinced me I had to have. It cost me a lot of money for virtually no gain.

Strangely, it was a salesman at a high end store who brought me up short. "You're listening to the gear, not the music," he said. Boy was he right. Strange where you find the truth some times.

Most of my current kit is used. And I've got the sound I want, and I listen to music, not gear. I left the obsessive/compulsive behavior behind and started to relax. I don't worry if what I have is the best, or even close to the best. I do know it sounds great and that blowing more money won't likely improve what I have.

I love coming here and learning, but I don't obsess about it anymore.

I sleep a lot better, too.

What does your system consist of now?

 

[JSmith]

How Does Music Boost Your Mood?

New report highlights link between music and mental well-being

www.aarp.org

Research shows that music can have a beneficial effect on brain chemicals such as dopamine, which is linked to feelings of pleasure, and oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone.” And there is moderate evidence that music can help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Explore How Music Can Promote Your Brain Health

A new report and recommendations from AARP's Global Council on Brain Health shows potential of music to support brain function as people age

www.aarp.org

We know that music is a powerful stimulator of the brain. It has the potential to be a critical tool to preserve and enhance brain health.

JSmith

 

[tvih]

Alcohol helps too. Unfortunately that leads to other problems.

Absolutely no positive effects for me. And since it also tastes like crap and is expensive... icky.