I listen to my system most days. Some days it grips me by the throat, some days it’s pure bliss. Other days it sounds good, really good. And, I’ll admit, sometimes it sounds a bit meh…
And I put this 100% down to my mood and the stresses and strains of life. Some days I’m pumped up, some days I’m loving life. There are some great days, and some not some not so great days.
My system seems to mirror how I’m feeling. And, for me, that makes comparisons really difficult. And it’s why I place my faith in the collective the ears of this forum, and my trust in Naim.
I just don’t trust my ears the way some do. Am I alone?
Agree. And that’s why I need atleast two weeks to make a proper judgement on products if I have the possibility. I also believe it’s about power grid and the dirt on it. It seems like the ups and downs are far less since I got the Puritan 156.
However, without getting too philosophical about it, all perception is modified by our mental state (or mood)
Rarely, I do not like the sound of my system but there are times when I am not in the mood to listen to music and I expect if I were forced to do so at those times I would not enjoy the experience anywhere near how I would normally.
In other words, everything we experience is filtered through our brain and mental state.
Relax, it’s fine, trust your ears and perception more.
Mood can certainly have a big influence, however physiologically our ears are not constant, and sometimes hear better than others for a variety of factors. (In my opinion these real factors explain many of the things people claim about things they hear.)
Perception of music is absolutely affected by mood and emotion!
If you are feeling receptive to a certain type of music then go with it, it gets you in the mood. One you’re in the zone things magically start to sound better.
I usually start by listening to whatever I fancy, regardless of production quality. I then find that I drift towards albums where I can appreciate the SQ the hifi is capable of.
Absolutely the same for me. Mood is a massive factor.
Have the same good, wonderful and meh days.
A hifi company should sell good mood in cans (not alcohol)
I trust my ears 100%. But mood certainly affects how I react to listening to music - just as it affects how I react to anything else. Sometimes I’ll play something and the magic just isn’t there. I find on those occaisions it’s best to go and do something else.
Our response to music is an emotional one. So it makes perfect sense that we won’t always be in the mood for listening to music. Why should we be? Are we always in the mood for watching TV, reading, going for a walk etc. etc. Of course not. Our hi-fi systems aren’t a magic wand just because we’ve spent a lot of money and time getting them right.
Most of the time my system sounds wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable. Sometimes it sounds simply awesome. Now and again it sounds very ordinary and nothing to get excited about. No doubt there is some objective variation due to mains quality variations, fluctuations in the earth’s geomagnetic field, sunspot activity, wind direction, the proximity of Mars to the earth or whatever. But mostly I’m sure it’s just my mood at the time. If I’m feeling under the weather or tired then I don’t find anything very enjoyable.
One thing I’ve become much more aware of since retiring is how important looking after yourself is with regard to how you actually feel on a day to day basis That may seem obvious, but when one is working full-time the rush and whirl of daily life tends to obscure everything else. Each to their own and I’m not trying to preach to anyone here but eating healthily, getting enough sleep , exercising such as going for a walk, and cutting down on alcohol consumption have all helped me feel a lot better. The knock-on effect is that I enjoy my music more because I just feel better in myself. An excellent upgrade and completely free.
I think my ears and my system are almost constant, but for me mood impacts my enjoyment. One thing I have noticed is that when I am not in the right zone I find myself hopping from track to track searching for something enjoyable to listen to. Invariably I end up walking away feeling ‘empty’
I know its not what you meant, but I thought worth noting it because of course you can’t separate it - and some people seem to think any change in sound must be something to do with the system
I’ve almost driven myself crazy trying to understand why sometimes my system sounds great and sometimes a bit off. For me it’s a combination of variables but when the stars align and these things are just so the system sounds, or what I hear is awesome. Here are some of the things I think make a difference:
Biology, hearing in the evening is better, blood thinner, red wine helping the music flow.
Environment, room is darker, blinds or curtains down helping reduce sound reflections, background noise is lower, mains ac is better quality and there is less ac noise.
Equipment, my naim boxes prefer the night, they have a soul and are night owls at heart.
By the morning this is all reversed and the system sounds meh again.
