Upgrade-itis : When do you stop?

Really? On what basis do you say this?

 

I would tend to agree with tubesandvinyl. I would think that if we were to step out of comfortable society and return to a more primitive time. Our hearing, is more critical to our survival as a species, though valid arguments could be made for both sides.

We can see the sun from 93-million miles away, but we cannot see around a corner, we can hear around a corner.

We, and most species have evolved to have stereo vision and stereo hearing (tie).

We can close out eyes but not our ears, evolutionary reason? we might start to fall asleep with our eyes open, but they will soon close on their own. Our bodies are deigned so they can shut out light but we can not shut out sound.

We can see only directly in front of us, side to side vision, about 130-degrees. Our ears are front facing, , we can hear 360-degrees.

In a real world, we usually will hear something coming, before we see it coming. We can hear overhead, and not see overhead, unless we alerted by our hearing and, as a conditioned response, stop and look up.

Visually, in our peripheral vision, we can sense that there is something there and react to it before we can identify it. If someone were to throw a basket ball into our peripheral vision, out brain does not first attempt to identify what the object is. Our brains first job is to determine if it directed at us, and we quickly duck! In order to identify the object, out brains must direct the movement of the eye, then body, so that we can identify that object. In order to read, we have to first zero in on the text.

If I am reading this (and focusing) on this sentence, or single word in this sentence, I could not tell you a word in the last sentence in the paragraph directly above.

It takes significantly more effort on the part of our brains to read. Our brains have to decode what our eyes see and then that information has to be logically processed by our brains, in order to achieve comprehension of what our eyes are seeing.

Anyone reading this, will require a degree of concentration, music playing in the background is automatically taken in and processed with minimal effort, without even realizing that we are listening.

If the argument were made, how do we know we actually are processing auditory information then? Easy, take a song that you know, better yet, take a song that you do not know. Then change just one note in the melody, make the song off key, you will know it immediately, if not sooner. You brain has flagged the error, before your conscious thought has the chance to grasp and interpret it.

Your brain is not stupid. It knows how to take shortcuts with the eyes. Reducing processing time, as it were. LOGO's, a mainstay of corporate America)

Say I was going down the beer isle. I come across a familar sight, I don't even have to start processing the first big letter (B) on the carton, before my brain has identified is as "Budwiser", at this point, my brain immediately engages my arms, NOT, my brain engages my legs, saying to them, "must walk faster, must walk faster".

 

My reason for stopping upgrading was essentially my age - 73 - and the fact that my hearing may not discern any improvements. At this stage of the game - my life - I'd prefer to get to listen to as much music as possible and discover what I've missed along the way and new artists rather than put the money into audio upgrades. When I leave this life I have a vision of a dumpster outside the house with the audio equipment being tossed willy-nilly into it.. I'm really quite satisfied with my system as it is.

 

All of that up there is why we listen to music in the dark, or with our eyes closed. If the brain isn't processing visual information, there's more brain available to process sound. Blind people don't "hear better", but without the distraction of having to process visual information, they are more attuned to audio. If you get lost while driving, you turn off the radio so you can concentrate better. At least I do.

 

OK. Interesting anecdotes. but it doesn't say anything about the processing refinements of visual or auditory cortex.

 

As to how the brain works, it's not for me to say, because I have no idea.

These are just some observations on my part. It is fairly obvious to me, that the brain is an amazing biological machine. We have the ability to process complex visualizations, it take more computing power, that's all. Audio processing seems to be much easier from my observations.

I can easily perform manual tasks, while listening to audio. I have a much more difficult time reading, while performing manual tasks. Even that is not a great example, because the task itself is different than just listening to audio.

Let me explain. In my situation, I run a small motel of the beach area. I used to like to listen through in ear monitors with my eyes closed. When I set up a lot of equipment in my my office, there is a 5x10 foot window directly behind my 2nd sofa. Next to that, there are three sliding glass windows. From the outside, you can see the left tower speakers, the TV and the wires and amplifiers behind the TV. In the evening, when the lights are on low (led strip lighting on the valance over the windows), and because, anyone walking in or out the gate to the parking area, outside he windows, could see inside, I always kept my eyes open. Besides my guests, there may be any type of transients on the beach.

Some months later, I installed blinds over all the windows and some additional draperies over the sliding glass windows. Now there is no longer an open view from the outside and I can close my eyes and listen to the music. Well. I do turn the lights way down low, but even though I can, I am now conditioned not to. This is something that I was actively thinking about earlier today. I do turn of the fluorescent's but I always listen with my eyes open.

I am familiar with the environment of the room around me, it is visually a known static image. I don't get the impression, that it takes any more effort on the part of my brain to process visual information in this scenario, than it does to listen to it. More like apples to apples.

As soon as things start to move, come into the peripheral vision, speed up, come towards you, you moving at the same time, as the complexity of the visuals increases, the processing demands on the brain becomes greater.

My position is not that the brain lacks complexity to process visual input. Visual input, depending on how complex it is, demands more processing power that the brain must meet, in order to do so. It all demands on the complexity of what the brain needs to do with the visual information after it is received by the brain. If I see two numbers, that is one thing, if I see them and have to add them together, that requires computing power.

I doubt, that receiving and processing auditory information is as complex, not by a long shot. People today, go about their daily routines and still listen to music at the same time, don't they? Not that I walk around with earbuds all day. I have another opinion on how to listen to music.

Just my view and my musings. Not supported by any established scientific factual evidence. Closer to what someone hears when listening to a specific piece of equipment in the audio chain.

Now that I have both commented on your post and have made every effort to address the question proposed to me in your second post, I would welcome, your thoughts on the subject, since you appear to have them?

What is your take on the eye-brain, vs. ear-brain processing issue?

Inquiring minds want to know!

S&G

 

I am not willing to do this. Too much like work and I am retired.

 

I don't get to listen as much as I would like as I have a 4 month old baby. However, when I do listen I make it an event and really appreciate it. This has stopped in its tracks the need to keep tweaking and upgrading that I used to have. Less can be so much more...

 

Exactly...if less can be more, imagine how much more, more could be!!

 

I stopped when upgrading any more would mean taking out a mortgage.
I started about 20 years ago and as my financial situation improved over the years I would upgrade something every few years or get a new model of a component.
But I've reached my zenith and am very happy where I am with my 2-channel rig. Sure I might if I have the money a few years from now upgrade my Bryston 7Bsst2 to sst3 or upgrade my DAC if something significan comes out but I'm not rushing into it.
Very much enjoying what I have and buying lots of records (too many).

 

Stylus is important. Years are not so important, hours and condition are! are 1,000 - $2,000 hours? If so, have your stylus checked!, you do want to avoid damage to your records. It may be OK, then again, it may not.

If you really have the itch for the A9's. They are excellent speakers, I have a pair and the CSiA6 center channel.

As to your crate digging, it's the best way to buy. Never, have there been such low prices on CD's and I like to own my music. If you can hold up on your digging for a next couple of months or so, Polk usually holds a 50% off sale at the end of November. I have bought from them the pas 4-years during this sale.

Two years ago, that is how I bought my RTiA9's Retail $750/ea. ($1,500/pr.). I bought mine for $750 a pair of $375/each! I use them for both HT and Stereo. The CsiA6 center channel is the one to get if you are also doing HT. Retail, $400, Sale for $200. You can also wait until next year to get a center channel, when they have their next 50% off sale.

The A9's weigh 75-lbs. each and are laminated with real wood. I have them in cherry. The lower -3dB limit is 30-cycles. They can handle 500/watts! I have powered them with my Emotova XPA-2 and they rock!

It would be great to see them on your stereo! (That is my personal recommendation)

They are so large, if you have an 8' ceiling, you can't get them out of the box by lifting the box straight up. I had to lay them on the couch and rest them on the arm.

I put them away a few months ago. They had a special sale earlier this year on their LSiM line and I bought a pair of the LSiM707's and saved $2,000!

You must register on their web site well in advance & get on their mailing list to receive offers from Polk. This is something I generally don't car to do. But, with Polk, you want to receive emails of their offers. When you receive an email about their sale, there will be a code for you to use at the time of checkout. You will not see anything about the sale on their web site. It is only available for customers who elect to receive their emails.

S&G

 

I stopped when I knew, after trying a lot of speakers and amps in my room, that what I have now is very good and close enough within my budget to state of the art.

 

when i came to the conclusion left and right balance was altered by chickenpox.