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Topic: The Brain Inertia.

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Posted by Romy the Cat on 02-29-2012
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I has been a long inventor and supporter of the theory that majority of audio people have something that I call “Brain Inertia” in audio.  The “Brain Inertia” is my colloquialism and it does not mean exactly what it means. The “Brain Inertia” was “discovered” by me in 1996 and I remember exactly how it was.

I was like many of you an “audio person” was twinkling something with my gear, listening something – there was nothing wrong with it. From my contemporary standards I was an audio idiot but there is nothing wrong with that as well. So, another day I was invited to hear a very sophisticated installation. I know exactly what it was and how it sounded but it is not important to mention it. It was over $300K installation, very nicely done and the part of the engagement was that I needed to provide a feedback about Sound I heard. Listening that installation I has absolutely zero feeling about it was better or worse, I just had absolutely no reaction and no opinion about the sound I heard. I need to warn that it was not the problem with the installation but pure problem with my mind, my expectations and my reference point in audio at that time. Nevertheless, I was sitting in front of those speakers, feeling absolutely nothing and literally was asking myself what I was doing here. Then I was obliged to provide a feedback. So I did and to my big surprise I did not make a lot of efforts to lie. In fact I did not lie at all and I was very honestly described what I THOUGHT I WAS HEARING. So, my listening habits imprinted in my mind some auditable differences and I perceived them as factual auditable differences. It was pure and simple inertia of audio experience as I knew that any listening experience would deliver different sentiments and I just enumerated those sentiments. It was sort of Pavlovian Dog reflexes and those sentiments were not related to any cultural or musical reference but were related to the fact that any sonic influence would create enumeratable set of differences.

I do see very frequently this reaction in audio people, including some of them who come into my home. I even learned how to re-arrange the presentation of sound for them in order to instigate more or less inertia of their brain or to navigate their reaction to one or another direction. This is the whole point – the Brain Inertia is not random by nature but a highly algorithmable subject. The most important is not the sad predictability or brainwashablity of that Brain Inertia but the fact that Brain Inertia has absolutely nothing to do with reality. Brain Inertia is pure motor reaction of mind and it has absolute disassociation with what persons actually feel or sense. Therefore the Brain Inertia must not be used for any judgments.

My feeling that over 90% of all interactions in audio happens under the spell of Brain Inertia mode. People experience audio juts because they feel that they are in circumstances in which they feel that they experience audio. They feel that they recognize the differences and they feel that one sound is more preferable for them then another sound. The truth is that the differences that they recognize are not factual differences but the overrides of their brain that suggests that the differences have to be there. It is like a person who sees a mirage in desert and feels that he is having a drink. This person can clearly distinct the differences between Coke from Pepsi in his hallucinational drinking but the differences is not factual but illusionary.

It is my very sober opinion that over 90% of high-end audio practitioners out there do practice audio by relying upon those hallucinationals audio differences or the differences inspired by Brain Inertia.

Rgs,
Romy the Cat

Posted by haralanov on 03-01-2012
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Yes, all this is in a way correct, but it depends on the abilities of a given person to see the objective side of the Reality, or at least to try to be as objective as possible. It is well known fact that the reality is very subjective thing, because it depends on how it is being perceived by different persons.  Everybody perceives it in different way, he is convinced that what he sees/hears is the reality, simply because it is true for him/her. But what he perceives is the result of the interaction between his inner world and the absolute reality. Under given circumstances one can see/hear things (differences) that do not exist in the objective reality, so your observations are correct. Look at the following illustration. Do you see any difference in the color of the two squares?

same color 1.jpg

Yes? Congratulations, your judgement was in fact just a reflection of the objective reality bent through the prism of your subjective perception. The brain could be very easily fooled and you can verify this by blocking with your finger the part of the picture marked with white rectangle. Now there is no difference between the colors of A and B squares, right?

same color 2.jpg


Yes, the difference in the taste between Coke and Pepsi from certain perspective could be defined as hallucination, just as the difference in the fragrance of two “different” perfumes, but the important question that arise on the surface is does it really matters given the fact no one is truly objective in his/her judgement.

Some people who use drugs could see “real” (from their subjective point of view) snakes in front of them while their brain is affected of the drug. This is what they see and they believe it is real, no matter they are hallucinating if we observe what they see by different (and more objective) angle. But who can guarantee that me, you and Joe are able to see the world in more or less objective way? In your view the music of Bruckner is something very special, but for the average Joe the same music could be piece of crap, because his perception of the world is quite different than yours. Then who is right in his judgement about the Bruckner’s music – you or Joe? How could one find the answer of this question? Some people would suggest it is a matter of taste. But are they correct in their suggestion, having in mind there is no objective measure to define what is bad or good taste? Good taste relative to what? Bad taste relative to what? I don’t want to ask philosophic questions, so back to the topic.  Let's imagine a given person who has his “Brain inertia” type of perception is listening to something.  He has his own opinion for the sound. He could be very wrong about it (and there are quite objective ways to determine this), but does it really matters that somebody thinks differently, given the fact that his perception is the reality itself (for him)? Does he really care about other people's opinion for his quite subjective perception of reality, when he is sure what he hears exist in reality (OK, in HIS reality)?

Posted by Romy the Cat on 03-01-2012
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Haralanov,

I was looking at the subject of Brain Inertia from a slightly different perspective; perhaps I did not clearly express my perspective. The fact of the Brain Inertia is not under question neither from practical nor philosophical points of view. The question arise is what to do while the person does acknowledges that his motivation are Brain Inertia inspired. Of course we are taking about audio subjects…

This is very tricky moment as understanding the imaginary nature of some audio sensations is not necessary (for some people) signify that they refuse a pursuit of what they recognize as the “sensations provider”. I am not taking about idiotic case when people put Brain Inertia in conveyer and use nothing else but Brain Inertia – like most of audio reviewers do. I am talking about absolutely normal cases what a person recognizes that a new amplifier, cable, driver or DAC has no difference then another one and the differences that he did acknowledge are purely from realm of Brain Inertia. Shall a person continue to have interest in this new amplifier, cable, driver or DAC? This is not so simple question.

The Cat

Posted by Stitch on 03-05-2012
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Last week I had a date with my Psychotherapist (every serious Audiophile needs one when he is above 40 and Al - his name is Al Right - charges only 165$/h, he is an Audiophile and a good guy. In his waiting room I met my old buddy De - his name is De Pression - one of the last Raiders of the lost sonic Arc - I call him DP. 
We hugged us and he fumbled in his Jacket - he never leaves home without a Cartridge Protractor, Fozgometer, RCM cleanig fluid or similar - and showed me a round Thing „Stitch, here, you know THAT? It is a Strobe...Timeline ... Can‘t be without it...“


I asked him why he‘s visiting Al and he told me his latest experience with his Buddy R. Buck - full name is Rich Buck - some days ago. Rich came to his Home - after exchanging 1889 emails in the last 4 months what he should buy -  listened to his System and couldn‘t believe that it sounded so real, because he owns a 600000$ System and the one from DP is much cheaper. And he asked DP to show him the shop where all the goodies can be bought. DP agreed...


Rich
„DP, that was so amazing listening to your System, I mean, all is in your living room, I have a custom made room for 200000$ and can you imagine how your System would sound in MY room...and your Cartridge...you say it is 5000$...that is nothing...absolutely nothing...I will buy two...are there more expensive ones also available ...yes..but you say they are inferior...really...normally they have to be better or....and your Tonearm...this Radical Research 64s...really only 2000$...on which of my 4 Turntables should I mount it ...or should I buy 4...for each table...I mean it is nothing...absolutely nothing ...may I do you a favor...   you should buy the cables I have...they are super...normally they are 8000$/m..but I got a good deal...I can get them for only 6000$/m...and your Phonostage...it is amazing...but I can‘t buy it, there is no test report and when I will sell it later, this would be helpful...yes, I heard it and it is very close to my 4 Phonopreamps from Fitus, Doulder, LM Acoustics and EMD...yours is a bargain for only 20000$....and your Phonocable for 1000$ is very interesting...you want to try my 6000$ cable but you have to take care..it is super....and your Speakers....amazing...I mean..I use Walson...their top model...normally they are 200000$ but I got a top deal...only 175000 because i did prepay them...you really think yours are better...I know I listened to them...but in the lower register I hear a bit more with mine....and it is really true that this guy in Kansas will do a 1000gr Reissue from Hatari...only 1000 copies..I want that....then I need a VTA raiser....can you do it...and the 2999$ you charge for is nice but I think I will go for your offer with 24k gold plating for 5555$...“


DP
„Hey Rich, I have to leave now, but the next 100 yards you can walk alone...super simple to find...from here 70 yards straight ahead and the left road, it is the only one left from here and then 30 yards on the left side..there it is...I repeat...you understand it?
70 yards straight ahead..then left...30 yards and that‘s it.


Rich Buck nodded, started to walk and after 20 yards he changes the street form left side to the right and went to the next right and was out of sight...


DP left me because he got the date with AL...after 1h he came out...totally relaxed..we shook hands...hugged us..he showed me the #timeline again.. and then I went to Al onto his couch


Al
„Hi Stitch...what can I do for you?“


Stitch
„I heard differences“


Al
„Interesting. Go ahead“


Stitch
„Well, I bought a new vacuum cleaner for my wife..a wonderful unit...got a good deal on it...and last time I helped her and I tried a different power cord with it...there was a difference...“


Al
„Interesting....really interesting...I mean, that is REALLY interesting.


Ahem, what cable manufacturer?“


It was good talking. He made a lot of notices about the brand, the length I used and where I bought it from and what plug I used for it.
We will meet us next month...

Posted by Romy the Cat on 03-06-2012
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Yep, Stitch, your satire is fine even though I do not agree that every serious Audiophile needs a psychotherapist. This is a difference between serious audio individual and just a person who twinkling with audio. If person has specific objective and know what he is looking than whatever we do is fine. Take a look at musicians, let say brass players. The best of them all their life’s are twinkling with different type of let say trumpets, construction of values and different ways to play the trumpets in order to get specially demanded character in their sound to match the given work or to much a given expressive intention. Audio people, I mean the serious audio people are not much different. The non- serious audio people, the majority are different – they have no define objectives but and therefore no definition of “accomplished mission”. If a person knows what he is looking then even the power cord from a refrigerator might be a sign. Unfortunately we all know that it is very seldom the case.

Anyhow, in my comment about the Brain Inertia I was aiming to slightly different angle: of the person does acknowledge that he or she is driven by Brain Inertia than where is to stop? Sometimes to answer this question one does not need a psychotherapist but a full psychiatry hospital…
 
The Cat

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