Poll: Do the Visual Aesthetics of Audio Gear Affect Perceptions of Sonics?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by ShockControl, Jan 2, 2018.

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  1. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Perception of sonics? Looks are looks and sounds are sounds, mutually exclusive. I want my stuff to look nice but that has no impact on the way it sounds. My computer also doesn't run any faster based on what color it is.
     
    Kyhl likes this.
  2. Manimal

    Manimal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern US
    I kinda took the op’s Question as is there some psychological effect to the appearance of a component and the perceived (mental) quality of the sound. I think there probably is even if we don’t admit it. Hard facts and common sense of course say that looks “literally” do not effect sound.
    For me, I don’t say to myself in front of an ugly component “ close your eyes man and focus on the sound”. It’s a two part construct of the experience as a whole. Dats what I’m sayin:)
     
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  3. Manimal

    Manimal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern US
    I didn’t even have to watch the video before I laughed my head off, and today I really needed that. Thanks:)
     
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  4. BrokenByAudio

    BrokenByAudio Forum Resident


    Yes, you can always move he speakers to change the sound you're hearing!
     
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  5. Higlander

    Higlander Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Florida, Central
    I think it goes without saying, that to the final listener, everything influences what we hear to some degree.
    But Isn't that simply "Human Nature 101"?
     
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  6. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialist™

    Location:
    B.C.
    I'm not so sure we can paint with such a broad brush. Seriously, I couldn't care less about how my pre and power amps, CD player and speakers look. I'm only interested in what comes out of them. The color... well let's just say I wouldn't have ever wanted Orange or Ferrari Red colors on anything from four years old and up. Unless the Orange and Ferrari Red are the only colors available for a true top of the line contender I seriously wanted. I'm not buying them for what they look like.
     
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  7. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    Few are, but if you bought 2 Ferraris, one with a more simple and dumbed down design and ugly colors and one with really flashy looking controls and nice colors, you might say that you prefer the handling of the nicer car than the other, even though they function identically.
    Its not the best comparison to draw but in essence it works.
     
    Manimal likes this.
  8. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialist™

    Location:
    B.C.
    Brocolli and Oranges comparisons do not work for this my friend.
     
  9. missan

    missan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm
    This is not how it works; You will not be aware of that it works.
     
  10. Steve G

    Steve G Senior Member

    Location:
    los angeles
    did we actually make it to the tree falling in the forest question on this forum? No, science cannot tell you what you are hearing, it can only analyze the source of the waves and the waves themselves. Whether they are a sound when you are not hearing them is for philosophers and not scientists... just like color, just like light, etc., etc.
     
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  11. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    Im not sure how you fit in the Tree Falling analogy in with that.
    You need to be careful with your wording here. Science CAN tell you what you are "hearing", but it cant tell you what you are "perceiving", is what is meant by this.
     
    Manimal likes this.
  12. ralf11

    ralf11 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Earth
    there are ways to tell how perception is happening and if it differs between say, men or women - various types of CAT scanning are just one way

    one thing we do know for certain is that looks and sounds are in no way mutually exclusive - not at all

    the relevant issues are two here tho: 1 - testing or listening to determine which thing to buy, and 2 - listening to music after a purchase

    you want to exclude visual and other confirmation biases for 1; and add positive ones for # 2 (even if it is Dewers)
     
  13. missan

    missan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm
    I agree, but we don´t do #1, do we.
     
  14. Manimal

    Manimal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern US
    Yep, kinda like my car seems to run a little tighter when it’s detailed.
     
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  15. Manimal

    Manimal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern US
    I took it as a philosophical question about perception. There’s no reason to take this down the “it sounds better if it looks good....literally” road. Nobody here I think needs to be convinced that a shiny faceplate or blue meters ACTUALLY makes the thing sound better. We’ll be here forever.
    I have a couple of things that don’t look great but sound awesome, but if you were auditioning two say McIntosh amps, and one was covered in an ugly chassis but were the same component and you didn’t know it was a comparison, would you pick the nice chassis or be drawn to its sound. It may be in our DNA that a more pleasing form enhances its other attributes like sound. I don’t know but it’s an interesting thought, that I’m sure McIntosh designers have taken into consideration.
     
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  16. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialist™

    Location:
    B.C.
    :thumbsup: Glad to make your day! After all, what in this world is more funny than poop or passing gas. :p
     
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  17. Mike from NYC

    Mike from NYC Senior Member

    Location:
    Surprise, AZ
    Beauty is only skin deep but when I see components with gold and all sorts of other tasteless bourgeois adornments I'm turned off but I will still listen to it with hopefully unbiased ear. Reminds me of the 'paper bag' joke.
     
  18. missan

    missan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm
    My latest components are only bought because of looks and design, I never listen to anything before buying.
     
  19. Manimal

    Manimal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern US
    I’ve thought about it and concluded NOTHING:)
     
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  20. auralden

    auralden Forum Resident

    Location:
    Singapore
    Call me shallow but I will not buy a kit that’s ugly no matter how good it sounds. So yes, looks do not affect sound but it affects my decision to purchase them... hahaha!
     
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  21. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    Things do seem to have a perception quality on the physical level that might (or might not) influence how we hear it. "Oh, it's absolutely hideous, it must sound GREAT!" I myself am very attuned to product names. When shopping for an amp several years ago I absolutely refused to consider "Why Red Number Four Sound" only because of the idiotic company name. No matter how good it sounded, that name would always be nagging at the back of my brain as something I hated.
     
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  22. Manimal

    Manimal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern US
    It may be in your DNA that determines what you buy. I read about two twins that were separated at birth and didn’t meet until that were 39. Both men were sheriffs, had two wives each with the same names, smoked the same brand cigarettes, drove the same car and vacationed at the same beach.
    Craaaazy:)
     
    Dave likes this.
  23. Krankenstien

    Krankenstien Active Member

    Location:
    United States
    Not at all for me. I’m slowly climbing the ladder to audio perfection (yeah right) and I don’t give a damn what the equipment looks like. It’s all made to make sound. That’s the endgame.
     
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  24. russk

    russk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse NY
    You are arguing semantics. See response to similar statement above.
     
  25. russk

    russk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse NY
    Or audiophiles apparently.
     
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