One might say that our perception of reality depends on our perception, internal processing, and organization of the Play of Differences. In any case, audible differences are certainly critical to my perception and appreciation of Music. Time to beat the topology drum again, because this is the only path I know for “maximizing differences”, fining them, and bringing relevant differences into critical focus. How this is done, or whether it is done at all, depends on system topology. All gear imposes limits of one sort and/or another. Some gear imposes hard limits. The art of audio is getting acceptable results with the gear of ones choosing.>>

Paul S

rowuk wrote:

In my world, the art of audio is learning to live with what you have. We are creatures of habit and are what we repeatedly do. There is an acclimation period for humans that can never be counted in minutes, hours or even days. Even good habits are the result of long term repetition. I believe those that search their whole lives for minute "improvements" in dynamics, color or any other audiophile parameter are missing the most important one - our own minds. There are so many posts about gear improving this or that - but those people never talk about their own perception. What did they learn about the performance during the last listening session. I am a professional trumpeter and other trumpeters have a similar problem: the search for the perfect mouthpiece that makes everything easier, better in tune and more dynamic. I consider these people to be lost souls. Human beings make music, not trumpets. We develop our own voice when we STOP making changes and develop what we have. If we rob ourselves of the opportunity to become intimate with our playback, our instrument, our mouthpiece, our "impressions" are essentially random. We limit our perception to being based on something that we have no deep understanding of.

This is very interesting subject and my position about it very much not orthodox. Yes from certain perspective high end are there might be observed in context of evolved music listening experiences. In my view it is very surface point of view. I have plenty of people with whom we interact about very deep music listening experiences but over the years I never even ask them what playback they have, I do not even know if they practice audio in any sense. What is particular interesting that when I stress some specific points which might be observed only from a perspective of high-end audio they are completely with me or at least understand what I'm talking about. 

I am not elso in a complete agreement with that position above that it has something to do with love of technology. It of course might be, but not necessaraly necessary. 

I certainly not to pretend that my position would be some kind of universal and this is strongly my take on subject. I would point out to you my signature from the Friedrich. Before typewriter invention he was writing his work by the hands but when typewriter come to the existence he begin to type. In few years he observed by act of typing in the structured format, which typewriter demands, change the way how he began to think. There is his quote come from. I think it is very similar, at least to me, in regards of audio and music. I have an interest in certain musical expressionism and for me audio  is an invention of that proverbial typewriter, in order my thoughts be developed in a format that I approve. It is sort of a reverse engineering of my own consciousness and rendered by the means of application of audio algorithms.