System or Hearing?

[Juancho]

Last Friday I was working in my studio as normal and noticed the sound from my system sounded terrible. No bass and very tinny, no image depth etc etc. Tried an SS amp in lieu of my valve amp: same result. I thought maybe the mains quality had suddenly gone bad. Didn't improve all day. Tried the main system in the house in the evening, also sounding terrible with exactly the same symptoms. Thinking that was a bit weird and the mains must really have taken a dive I forgot about it and didn't listen to anything else over a busy weekend. Back in the studio Monday morning sound system sounds fantastic again, as does the system in the house in the evening. Scratch head, then put two and two together. On Thursday evening I had a flu vaccination and felt very fluey over the weekend. By Monday this had gone. Clearly the vaccination had affected my hearing... One wonders how many people's supposed systems' problems might be temporary or longer hearing issues.............

 

[George 47]

Ain't that the truth. Got my Covid/Flu vaccinations coming up.

 

[Tony_J]

Ain't that the truth. Got my Covid/Flu vaccinations coming up.

Me too.

 

[Nopiano]

Oo-er, my Covid booster is next week, so after the Ascot show, but before the Staverton one. I will be wary!

 

[rabski]

I've said similar things many times. Our physical and psychological state have a far greater impact on how we hear things than we care to admit sometimes.

You don't need double blind testing. Just listen to the system when you're tired and hungry, and then put the same track on half an hour after relaxing over a good meal.

 

[George 47]

I was reading some papers on how we hear and see. For vision, our eyes do NOT form an image but 'translate' the optical to the electrical and the visual cortex is the part of the brain that forms the image. The eye's central image is in colour but the peripheral vision is in black and white and the brain makes the whole image colour. The image formed in the eye is 2D and the brain makes the two images into one 3D view.

And for audio, exactly the same with over 3x more connections going from the brain to the ears than the other way around. So if your central processing unit is dealing with some dead/fake disease then it may not be surprising that is given priority. Cor, aren't we marvellous?

 

[bigrod]

As Richard says .. Our state of mind and the environment we are experiencing both visual and audibly and any drugs etc affects our brain’s ability to decipher the music ..
what people tend to forget is the fact that as the signals travel from our ears around the brain along nerve fibres it’s not all electrical , there are junctions called synapses which the electrical impulse does not cross . Instead the information travels across the junction via a chemical neurotransmitter..so any chemical imbalance for whatever reason will affect our hearing both positively and negatively..

 

[Tony_J]

Cor, aren't we marvellous?

Well, some of us are, George...

 

[Non-Smoking Man]

I have sometimes had occasion to think that the presence of another person in the room can adversely affect the sound - and that could have a psychological explanation and a physics one (electrical/magnetic fields, anyone?).

Jack

 

[britishcomposers]

I have sometimes had occasion to think that the presence of another person in the room can adversely affect the sound - and that could have a psychological explanation and a physics one (electrical/magnetic fields, anyone?).

Jack

That, I can wholeheartedly agree with. The ex-BBC friend who does not like Tannoy horns as he hears the mild colouration as being unacceptable. No matter what I drove them with, they never sounded so good when he was there; sitting in judgement!

 

[Juancho]

As Richard says .. Our state of mind and the environment we are experiencing both visual and audibly and any drugs etc affects our brain’s ability to decipher the music ..
what people tend to forget is the fact that as the signals travel from our ears around the brain along nerve fibres it’s not all electrical , there are junctions called synapses which the electrical impulse does not cross . Instead the information travels across the junction via a chemical neurotransmitter..so any chemical imbalance for whatever reason will affect our hearing both positively and negatively..

There's definitely lots of parts involved-chemical, physical, and electrical-I've just never had such a vivid illustration despite Covid etc previously

 

[Tony_J]

(electrical/magnetic fields, anyone?).

Errr...no.

 

[bencat]

I know this a little pathetic as a supposed grown man but I do get anxiety when playing my system to another enthusiast , note in f playing to some who has interest or knowledge I never feel that way . Often I start to hearings wrong and I am now convinced that this self induced . The Wam Show is the above on steroids but very quickly vanished as people walk in and straight out without bothering to listen . Then the anger and self explanation take over and you are proud at what you have achieved and they not you must be dead . Yes the mind and what tricks it plays on you had lots to do with how things will sound . Best sound I get for the show is on Saturday night but that may be down to the wine .

 

[John (big)]

Last Friday I was working in my studio as normal and noticed the sound from my system sounded terrible. No bass and very tinny, no image depth etc etc. Tried an SS amp in lieu of my valve amp: same result. I thought maybe the mains quality had suddenly gone bad. Didn't improve all day. Tried the main system in the house in the evening, also sounding terrible with exactly the same symptoms. Thinking that was a bit weird and the mains must really have taken a dive I forgot about it and didn't listen to anything else over a busy weekend. Back in the studio Monday morning sound system sounds fantastic again, as does the system in the house in the evening. Scratch head, then put two and two together. On Thursday evening I had a flu vaccination and felt very fluey over the weekend. By Monday this had gone. Clearly the vaccination had affected my hearing... One wonders how many people's supposed systems' problems might be temporary or longer hearing issues.............

Had a C19 booster last week was dashing about last week system sounds good today Flu jab to come next Friday will report on system if any system degradation,
like a lot of ex-weightlifters I have Sleep Apnoea for which I use a CPAP machine pumping air via full face mask all & every night,, Whether this skews any result remains to be seen...

 

[bigrod]

I know this a little pathetic as a supposed grown man but I do get anxiety when playing my system to another enthusiast , note in f playing to some who has interest or knowledge I never feel that way . Often I start to hearings wrong and I am now convinced that this self induced . The Wam Show is the above on steroids but very quickly vanished as people walk in and straight out without bothering to listen . Then the anger and self explanation take over and you are proud at what you have achieved and they not you must be dead . Yes the mind and what tricks it plays on you had lots to do with how things will sound . Best sound I get for the show is on Saturday night but that may be down to the wine .

I’ve had several bake-offs and done the wam show .. now bake-offs and wam shows aren’t just about the music for me they are social events and no one should cri

I know this a little pathetic as a supposed grown man but I do get anxiety when playing my system to another enthusiast , note in f playing to some who has interest or knowledge I never feel that way . Often I start to hearings wrong and I am now convinced that this self induced . The Wam Show is the above on steroids but very quickly vanished as people walk in and straight out without bothering to listen . Then the anger and self explanation take over and you are proud at what you have achieved and they not you must be dead . Yes the mind and what tricks it plays on you had lots to do with how things will sound . Best sound I get for the show is on Saturday night but that may be down to the wine .

I’ve done several bake-offs and the wam show .. for me these are not all about the music and system , they are a social event .. i love how my system sounds and I don’t really care what other enthusiasts might think ,, I would hope that anyone who came as a guest to listen in my home wouldn’t be too critical .as I would not be as a guest in someone else’s home .. . But I do accept advice on how some different kit might sound .. .. I would probably be more critical of the decor than the music .. but I would keep my gob shut and not make any comment lol …

 

[bencat]

But you see being the shy retiring little flower that I am all these big men scare me

 

[bigrod]

Had a C19 booster last week was dashing about last week system sounds good today Flu jab to come next Friday will report on system if any system degradation,
like a lot of ex-weightlifters I have Sleep Apnoea for which I use a CPAP machine pumping air via full face mask all & every night,, Whether this skews any result remains to be seen...

I’m so glad I don’t sleep in your room .. the noise of a pump would drive me mad
My brother and I shared a bedroom as kids and and I used to have a pile of stuff by my bed that I would throw at him when he started snoring..

 

[John (big)]

I’m so glad I don’t sleep in your room .. the noise of a pump would drive me mad
My brother and I shared a bedroom as kids and and I used to have a pile of stuff by my bed that I would throw at him when he started snoring..

Actually the pump is silent it's the occasional loud raspberry when/if the face mask leaks, hence my wife sleeps in a spare bedroom after 40+ years of being together.

 

[DomT]

I know this a little pathetic as a supposed grown man but I do get anxiety when playing my system to another enthusiast , note in f playing to some who has interest or knowledge I never feel that way . Often I start to hearings wrong and I am now convinced that this self induced . The Wam Show is the above on steroids but very quickly vanished as people walk in and straight out without bothering to listen . Then the anger and self explanation take over and you are proud at what you have achieved and they not you must be dead . Yes the mind and what tricks it plays on you had lots to do with how things will sound . Best sound I get for the show is on Saturday night but that may be down to the wine .

Andrew as a first time having a room at the show I am going to use a specific tactic for those who enter and leave without listening. A friend will give them a knee in the nuts as they leave and place a sticker on their back that says “LOOOOSERRR!!”

What other people think isn’t important unless they are someone that you know so that you can have a conversation about how we hear differently. I have three Wam friends near me and we meet up to listen to music. We all hear completely differently and also value different things. So long as you are happy that’s all that important.

 

[bencat]

Dom I do know this and my systems are weird and varied enough to show I do make systems just to please me . There still that thing though when you invite someone else to listen for the first time , you begin to doubt just a little . Wam Show is all fun so many good friends to meet old and new so much be t talk about music and equipment . While I am making comments about entering rooms an leaving I now do it lots at shows were they are playing vinyl because I find it hard to listen to due to tinnitus so I mention it a little tongue in cheek rather than seriously . I hope that those that do it like me have a good reason for them .