Recently, I got new speakers and when I hooked them up, a/b tested against my old speakers, and heard tighter, punchier, deeper bass, more clarity and detail, I confidently told myself that the new thing is better, but over time I noticed that I was just not listening to music that much. Listening to my favorite albums or checking out a new one for the first time used to hold my attention, but now after a few songs, I would drift off down a YouTube rabbit hole and can’t get through an entire album. I put my old (apparently inferior) speakers back and I suddenly can’t get enough music.
I’m not going to go into over-analyzing those particular speakers, because I have had the same thing happen with headphones and amps as well. I think my takeaway here Is that in my time watching reviews and trying to judge what good sound is, I have inadvertently trained my self to look for certain characteristics of sound quality that aren’t actually what I enjoy the most… so how do you know what it is about sound quality actually keeps you listening as opposed to what checks the boxes you’ve created to distinguish “good” audio quality.
No, we don’t know.
I comfort myself with having spent a lot of money in coming to this conclusion. Or non-conclusion, often referred to a confusion.
Been pursuing audiophile sound since the 70’s. I have about 7 sets of speakers. Currently loving some Tekton Electrons. BUT - a pair of bottom-end Mission speakers and a noname subwoofer that I tried unsuccessfully to give away, and that sat outside for a couple years just happened to be handy while I was cleaning out the garage, so I hooked them up to my Wilsenton R8 tube amp so I could motivate myself with some music and wholly EFFFF…sounds very good. A buddy came over and was impressed. We had a few beers and tried to figure this out. The answer came out to my garage’s previously unrealized excellent accoustics and the fact that we were in a good mood.
So, good sir, carry on. Listen up, listen often and just enjoy the ride your ears take you on. And don’t forget to feel good about all the dough you’ve lavished on all that stuff.