Have you ever tried this?

Hi-Fi Corner
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Hi all,

I must post this, as I have never done the following and it’s so amazing it is surreal!

If you can make your listening room pitch black, wow, I can’t tell you how expansive the sound becomes, it just blossoms out way beyond the speakers and it’s much more than closing your eyes, as your eyes are open and you are not conscious that they are closed - which I have learnt contaminates perception.

Trust me, it is mind blowing and I know almost all of us on this forum are itching for the next ounce of audiophile nirvana.

If you haven’t tried blackening out your room like a cave. Try it!

Jon

PS I’m fortunate my partner is working a night shift tonight - she’s already sectioned me.

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You mean listen with the lights off (and black tape over indicator lights etc if gear is exposed)?

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Yes. Often when I was in my teens. I don’t do that very often after that.

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I can dim the lights and close my eyes. How does that not work as well?

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I always listen with eyes closed at live concerts, and the sound suddenly seems to come from two small speakers.

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Yes, and there are several theories as to why this brings benefits to your overall listening experience. If you have no other distractions feeding you it stands to reason that what you are hearing will take centre stage as you are not overloading your senses with other things. The consideration is that when listening in the dark at night, you have less activity on your mains and again less noise overall around you. I am not in a position to listen at night anymore but always preferred this.

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Switching your eyes off makes you concentrate more on hearing. The same as if you just close your eyes and listen.
Simple as that

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If I close my eyes, I will fall asleep. No matter how loud or what music.

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I tried before … I fell asleep :sweat_smile:

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Nice to know that I hear so much better than most of you, even though a high price for this tweak!
Claus

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Yes, when I said ultra black, I mean it. Everything, that’s why I ended my post with a quip as it’s obsessive - I grant my recognition of this keeps me able to mix in society - but what struck me was I had no option to close my eyes, because I’d see the same regardless - nowt. And when one’s eyes are open, one has all the faculties just without sight, like you autonomically blink and look around the pitch black room.

I know some of you think I should get my coat, but it was akin to that alleged apple on Newton’s head.

Jon

(Ok maybe I’m being too grandiose.)

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Agree totally. Often listen with my eyes closed. especially classical.

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So you do cover instrument indicator lamps etc?

As for what is happening, it is clearly something to do with night and day differences, and inky blackness…

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Why not just put a sensory deprivation tank in the listening room and listen with the hatch open?

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I allways listen in total darkness if i can .
Cutting off one of your senses tricks your brain into gathering more information from the others . Thats my theory anyway

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Yes, everything, but that was last night with black insulating tape. Would have taken a picture, but there was nothing to see!

Actually, next time I make my listening room completely black I WILL rake a picture from my listening position and post it to that thread.

:slight_smile:

Jon

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If you truly have eliminated all light, a photo with will just be black. (And using flash of course would be pointless.). So just let us imagine it, or simply post a black rectangle!

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I get scared in a dark room by myself.

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I rationalise this as:
Your music is sleep inducing
Or
Your system produces a very realistic sound, easy to listen to

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Alternatively having had insufficient sleep before listening.

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