Dear Abby,
As the adage goes, we all have a black sheep in the family. I'm pretty sure that there's a corollary of that adage that applies to the audio hobby and everyone has an audiobuddy like this.
I have this close, long time audiobuddy whom I visit frequently (though there's time I have to take breaks). He's very serious about the hobby, retired and listens to his music 10 hours a day.
But the records I bring over to hear in his system almost without fail sound worse than in my system. No it's not just the difference in equipment. No it's not for lack of investment in his system. The records just sound like junk. Though I think we can make an argument that his old Futterman/Crosby Quads/Entechs might have been the highlight of his audio journey. Like today I brought a copy of the reissue of Charlie Byrd Crystal Clear D2D over. Yesterday, it sounded incredible on my system. Same goes to for the reissue of Witches Brew. Today in his system the LPs sound totally veiled and muddy on his table and system. Nor was I the only person who commented on the sound.
Now I'm not asking the records sound like they do in my system. But one should be able to tell and differentiate no matter the system the good from bad LPs. But what perplexes me the most is that my audiobuddy is simply unwilling to accept that it's his system and not the LP. Oh the LP sucks. No XXXX you should hear it in my system.
Part of the problem is that he is always futzing with things. Just when you think his system sounds good, you come over the next weekend and find he's changed something and the system sounds worse. Or there's the inevitable call or email that this NOS tube that he tried died or was NOC. Or something else in the system was wrong.
Color me perplexed.
As the adage goes, we all have a black sheep in the family. I'm pretty sure that there's a corollary of that adage that applies to the audio hobby and everyone has an audiobuddy like this.
I have this close, long time audiobuddy whom I visit frequently (though there's time I have to take breaks). He's very serious about the hobby, retired and listens to his music 10 hours a day.
But the records I bring over to hear in his system almost without fail sound worse than in my system. No it's not just the difference in equipment. No it's not for lack of investment in his system. The records just sound like junk. Though I think we can make an argument that his old Futterman/Crosby Quads/Entechs might have been the highlight of his audio journey. Like today I brought a copy of the reissue of Charlie Byrd Crystal Clear D2D over. Yesterday, it sounded incredible on my system. Same goes to for the reissue of Witches Brew. Today in his system the LPs sound totally veiled and muddy on his table and system. Nor was I the only person who commented on the sound.
Now I'm not asking the records sound like they do in my system. But one should be able to tell and differentiate no matter the system the good from bad LPs. But what perplexes me the most is that my audiobuddy is simply unwilling to accept that it's his system and not the LP. Oh the LP sucks. No XXXX you should hear it in my system.
Part of the problem is that he is always futzing with things. Just when you think his system sounds good, you come over the next weekend and find he's changed something and the system sounds worse. Or there's the inevitable call or email that this NOS tube that he tried died or was NOC. Or something else in the system was wrong.
Color me perplexed.
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