A rare and wonderful experience

[jrohland]

I just spend the last hour totally undisturbed listening to an excellent CD. You see I'm home from work fighting a cold. The family is out and the house is quiet. I was able to clear my mind and slip between Alpha and Theta waves. The playback system faded out and I was living in the music. This has happened to me only a few times before and it is a cherished encounter.

Unfortunately, the Yamaha DSP does at times cause harshness in the mid frequencies so some of the songs with strong mid frequency content pulled me back to hearing the system. I tried using the Straight setting but decided it was better to have the subs on and put up with the occasional harsh mids.

The CD was Royal Crown Review, Mugzy's Move. A truly excellent big-band group.

jrohland

 

[markw]

Hey Pachuko!

Great CD.

You'er lucky. When I get a cold it goes to my head and everything sounds like a Bose system to me.

wazzat song? The Great Macaroni?" or something? Funny as all getout.

 

[jrohland]

You'er lucky. When I get a cold it goes to my head and everything sounds like a Bose system to me.

Already left my head currently taken up kniting in my chest.

 

[gregz]

jrohland, I too was home with a cold today.

Unfortunately, my system is down for restoration/upgrade, which left me with a JVC boombox to listen to my music! I suppose it's no coincidence that the selections I chose from were more on the ragged edge of my contemporary collection. I can't really enjoy the good stuff unless it's served up right.

 

[Mudcat]

Unfortunately, my system is down for restoration/upgrade, which left me with a JVC boombox to listen to my music!

When will people ever learn. Never, never,never start a restoration/upgrade project on your system unless you can finish it in a single session.

Get all your parts lined up, establish a working order and write it down. Start the job and finish the job.

Sorry Greg, had to say this because of the boombox.

Oh and Jrohland, I envy your experience. I do not often get a chance like that unless I'm healthy and the wife and kids are at the inlaws, and the phone is unplugged.

 

[miklorsmith]

That is a fantastic experience. I stay up on weekends to listen by myself, but the living room's right next to the bedroom where my wife can hear, even when it's low. She doesn't bug me as long as I keep it low. I even turn off the fridge to lower the ambient noise floor! I can have it louder during the day, but then I can't listen properly with the kids and annoying wife that likes to talk about stuff. Boy - I'd sure like to turn it up a little when I can listen!

 

[jrohland]

I would like that rare

I can have it louder during the day, but then I can't listen properly with the kids and annoying wife that likes to talk about stuff. Boy - I'd sure like to turn it up a little when I can listen!

That is what makes it a rare occurrence. Like many of us, the family wants most of my non-working time. I can get an occasional hour or two by my self with the volume knob but, rarely do I get it when I don't have a nagging honey-do list, work related problems needing attention or, some friends wanting help...often all three.

I recently watched (again) Baraka. It always leaves me to wonder how 3rd world cultures have evolved to where many people in them spend their days in prayer and meditation. I realize they don't have the technology we have but, how do they not have to work? I dread the fact that I will not live long enough for our technologies to allow us the pursuit of knowledge, art and the intellect as a full time occupation.

jrohland

 

[miklorsmith]

Grand anthropoligical question. Fertile Crescent - It all started about 10,000 years ago when we switched from being subsistence-cultures to production-based. The "new" agriculture got people off their hunting, gathering, and wandering ways and decided that settling down and having farms was better. Certainly it was for those making decisions and not doing the work for it created economic classes where decision-makers weren't required to produce anymore.

Surpluses, growth, and expendible incomes have their price. We are more "secure" now, but our culture holds that unless you're working till you die that you're not doing your job. Our technological tools that could make our lives easier don't - instead they just raise the bar of expectation.

Which, of course, leaves us with great toys and no time to enjoy them.

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

Even in the Middle Ages and probably up until the Industrial Revolution the common people, for all the drudgery and poverty of peasant life, had a surprising amount of leisure time and a much more casual attitude about work. Read the long and fascinating classic history about life in a medieval village as revealed by detailed records preserved in the Vatican of interrogations of common people from a local inquisition into heresy, "Montaillou and the Promised Land of Error". Sorry, don't recall the author - a French historian. The work is a classic and should be available in English in your library.

Ah, but back to the original subject: yes, those episodes of intimate communion with and losing oneself in the music are what this hobby is about, whether it's Mahler or Metallica!

 

[miklorsmith]

Europeans, even today, have a far superior grip on the long haul and quality of life.

 

[gregz]

When will people ever learn. Never, never,never start a restoration/upgrade project on your system unless you can finish it in a single session.

Get all your parts lined up, establish a working order and write it down. Start the job and finish the job.

Sorry Greg, had to say this because of the boombox.

Mudcat, maybe it's good I didn't mention the JUSTeir Active 95 computer speakers?... My wife is pressing me to build a worthy bedroom system, so all will be well soon...

 

[miklorsmith]

WHAT?!?!?!?

Your wife wants you to spend money on stereo gear??!? Clone her. You will become very wealthy.

 

[gregz]

WHAT?!?!?!?
Your wife wants you to spend money on stereo gear??!? Clone her. You will become very wealthy.

LOL! Ya think I'd better get my butt in gear before she changes her mind? I'm happy to say that I've successfully hooked her on all my vices. Corruption, pure and simple.

MOOOHAHAHAHAAHA!!!! (evil scientist laugh)

 

[miklorsmith]

Time machine then? She's from the past?

Does she still pull your finger too?

Man - I can't even get my wife to share a bottle of wine with me. Probably related to why she doesn't care to sit and close her eyes to the music with me. We get along great, but don't even try to get her to acknowledge the system. "Sounds good" is about all I get.

The buddies are much better at it.

And, I did get a late-night Pink Floyd session on Friday. Good stuff. New topic - is The Wall the greatest rock album of all time?

 

[Bullit67]

I got my new 3805 all hooked up and running and came home from work early to spend some quality time with it and the only disc I had handy was Mike Oldfeilds Tubular Bells I ended up sitting through the whole thing it was like hearing it for the first time again the 5 speaker stereo works great on this receiver. The wife was at work and the dam parrots were quiet for a change (I like to beleve they were enjoying it as well lol)