Do you trust your ears?
treitz3
Posts: 19,029
Do you trust your ears? It's a seemingly simple question.....at least I think it would be but with the group of folks we have here? I am not so sure. There are objectivists and subjectivists and the believers in double blind testing and scientific studies for proof, then there is the measurement crowd. No matter where you along your audio journey, do you trust your own ears or do you allow the aforementioned to control the audio purchases for your rig?
What say you?
Tom
What say you?
Tom
~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
Post edited by treitz3 on
Comments
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Yes...
H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music. -
Yes, I trust my ears.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I trust my ears. So far, there has been no indication that what I hear is not real. If I hear a new squeak or rattle in my car it is because a new sound has emerged in the background noise. If I hear a difference in my stereo it is because something has changed. I recently switched back to my Shunyata Triton after using the Shunyata Hydra AV for two weeks. My impression of the AV was, while sounding great, the sound was a bit constrained. After putting the Triton back in, the sound opened up with a quieter background. Of course I heard that, and didn't imagine it. Also, this can all be measured. The is nothing subjective to hearing. The problem is knowing what to measure, and how it correlates to sound.Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
I used to try to hear what other people mentioned based on reviews opinions etc when I was learning more about audio. Now I 100% trust my ears and form my opinions, I just swapped a tube in my Nova earlier and am not impressed at all, doesn't sound like what everyone else describes to me and that's all that matters.
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Very good question!
I have learned, over time, to trust my ears rather than to put full faith and credit in opinions and reviews.
Of course, a great starting point to learn about speakers and other audio equipment is to hear what others have to say and what they have experienced. That is how I learned about lot of great things on this forum, from Polk SDA speakers to PSB speakers and Parasound power amps and pre amps, etc.
However, I learned to trust my ears and to always listen to equipment prior to purchasing, as sound is subjective and what is audio bliss to one may not be so to another.
I learned this a few years ago (prior to joining Club Polk) when I bought a pair of Dahlquist DQ 10s. I had to have them because of all of the incredible things I had been told about them. I thought they were the world's greatest speakers from what I had read and had been told. I found a pair a few hours away from me at a good price so I went off and got them. I was so excited when I hooked them up and I expected to be sent into audio nirvana when I first played them. But what a disappointment. Not that they aren't great speakers. They have a lot of strengths and do certain things incredibly well but, overall, I was disappointed and felt that I enjoyed my Polk Monitor 10s more than the Dahlquists (and I now enjoy my Polk SDA 2B TL more than any other speakers).
That taught my to trust my ears and to listen prior to purchasing anything and to use opinions and reviews as a tool and an educational source but not as the be all and end all. -
Of course I trust my ears. If you can't hear something, then what does it matter anyway. In audio everything we do is based on what we CAN hear, not what we CAN'T .HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Trust, but verify. :biggrin:Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
Of course.
And B Run, what tube did you try in the Nova?
Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
"I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion."![:\](https://forum.polkaudio.com/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....
"Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson
"Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee -
I trust my ears more than anything else. Soecs only tell me what a machine hears or what a machine can measure. What machines can never measure is soul. I have heard gear with unbelievable numbers sound like Katy Perry on crack, and gear with horrible numbers that sounds like angels...
I don't trust your ears either Tom
, but you were spot on about the Dodd. The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
yes I do. but I will listen to what others may think.
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When it comes to music/system,, yes,, otherwise I'll take the fifth. Tim,,pm me your phone #,, my phone was stolen a few months ago.JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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I sure thought so, but after getting hammered, I mean or educated on the finer points of mods ie: i/c cables, x-overs , terminations, power cords ,power conditoners, internal resonence deadening, and the great speaker wire debate I'm not even so sure any more. But it does still sound awesome to me right where it is including all my other kids and sources.I guess like Tony says, if it sounds good to you that's all that really matters.2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E
H/T- Toshiba au40" flat- Yamaha RX- V665 avr- YSD-11 Dock- I-Pod- Klipsch #400HD Speaker set-
Bdrm- Nikko 6065 receiver- JBL -G-200s--Pioneer 305 headphones--Sony CE375-5 disc -
I trusted my ears more when I was younger. Just had the radio on and I could have sworn Springsteen was singing 'Cataract Ranch'. Oh well, Bruce and I are both gettin' older.
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Yes and no.
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leftwinger57 wrote: »like Tony says, if it sounds good to you that's all that really matters.
Darn straight LW. If you leave it up to others to spend your coin, your wallet will be empty and the sound your looking for may still be elusive. If your happy with the sound, f%^K what others say, open a cold one and enjoy. Just my observation but music always sounds better when your naked, just a tip for a cheap tweek.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Again MR.COOL ONE.lol lol lol lol2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E
H/T- Toshiba au40" flat- Yamaha RX- V665 avr- YSD-11 Dock- I-Pod- Klipsch #400HD Speaker set-
Bdrm- Nikko 6065 receiver- JBL -G-200s--Pioneer 305 headphones--Sony CE375-5 disc -
I understand what you are trying to say here [said respectfully] but you do not watch your 2-channel system. You listen to it. The McGurk effect does not apply here.
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Conradicles wrote: »Yes and no.
Hey buddy. If you would be so kind, could you or would you be able to take the time to elaborate on this a bit? If you don't feel like getting pulled in knee deep into the conversation, just say the word. I understand and will never hold it against you. You do have my curiosity going as to why you would answer the question that way though.
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
No argument from me. You can take that video any way you please.
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No argument from me here either, Stanley. Not looking to argue. That's not my style.
That would be a great debate over whether or not you could trust your ears on an HT system, since the visual aspect is present in such a scenario. Cool video nonetheless for those who haven't seen it yet.
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Here's another one for the folks who haven't seen it and have nearly an hour to kill. Take from it what you want.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYTlN6wjcvQ -
Yep..ears...sight, and common sense..haven't failed me yet!
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I will say that on the McGurk effect if you listen to it with eyes closed you aren't fooled. To go one step further if it had went from ba to fa with eyes closed you would have queued into it. With eyes open you probably wouldn't have heard the difference.
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Critical listening for me is usually done with my eyes closed to keep out other distractions and yes I do.Home Theater
Onkyo PR-SC5508 Sharp LC-70LE847U
Emotiva XPA-5 Emotiva XPA-2 Emotiva UPA-2
Front RTi-A9 Wide RTi-A7 Center CSi-A6 Surround FXi-A6 Rear RTi-A3 Sub 2x PSW505
Sony BDP-S790 Dishnetwork Hopper/Joey Logitech Harmony One Apple TV
Two Channel
Oppo 105D BAT VK-500 w/BatPack SDA SRS 2.3 Dreadnought Squeezebox Touch Apple TV -
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Trust, but verify. :biggrin:
Without provoking a debate between "idealists" and "empiricists" (I hope), I believe in things audio the maxim "esse est percipi" -- "to be is to be perceived" is true. If I'm talking about sound as I hear it, then only those sounds I hear are relevant. So, I really have no choice but to "trust my ears."
On the other hand, I also like to verify what I hear by consulting my wife before I plunk down a bunch of money for something new or before I congratulate myself on a great mod to my system(s) that I think has improved the sound.
I have made a lot of mods to my Polk SRSs and 1Cs based on the recommendations of many folks on this Forum without having heard any examples of those mods, by the way, and I've never been disappointed, nor has my wife!
So, I suppose I would conclude: I trust my ears, and I like to verify what I her. I also trust others' ears when I have reason to believe they are credible observers.
Family Room, Innuos Statement streamer (Roon Core) with Morrow Audio USB cable to McIntosh MC 2700 pre with DC2 Digital Audio Module; AQ Sky XLRs to CAT 600.2 dualmono amp, Morrow Elite Speaker Cables to NOLA Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 speakers. Power source for all components: Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One with dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel.
Exercise Room, Innuos Streamer via Cat 6 cable connection to PS Audio PerfectWave MkII DAC w/Bridge II, AQ King Cobra RCAs to Perreaux PMF3150 amp (fully restored and upgraded by Jeffrey Jackson, Precision Audio Labs), Supra Rondo 4x2.5 Speaker Cables to SDA 1Cs (Vr3 Mods Xovers and other mods.), Dreadnaught with Supra Rondo 4x2.5 interconnect cables by Vr3 Mods. Power for each component from dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel, except Innuos Statement powered from Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One. -
I trust my ears to tell me what I like for the most part, because what choice do I have. Not that my hearing is a static thing (things might sound totally different if your head is congested for example).
What I don't trust is my brain. Bias is an important part of decision making, and our intuitions about what we perceive are often incorrect. The gains in understanding of how we think and the limits of brains have been huge. Some of this information is starting to make its way into popular understanding through books like Invisible Gorilla, but in general, popular understanding of how we perceive the world around us is in stark contrast to current scientific understanding. -
No - I make changes all the time and don't hear any difference.
I also mis-wired my right surround and centre speaker for about 2 months before I noticed. -
In Jesse's ears I trust
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Actually I do trust my ears, however I also trust a few other folks ears when buying gear I cant demo beforehand specifically speaker wire and ICs. I wish all companies did Demo's like MIT but many dont so you have to read reviews and trust some folks for input."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
