The Inner Ear & Crystal Glass

[bluesman]

Any cognitive psychologist will guarantee that if you just sit a bottle of your favorite beverage on the stereo while listening, the you will rate sound as better.

...as long as you have a sufficiently long straw.

[Ralf11]

No! Just the visual stimulus alone will alter the perception of the sound. That is well-established now.

 

Naturally, adding a positive taste sensory experience would be expected to enhance the aural experience too.

[mansr]

No! Just the visual stimulus alone will alter the perception of the sound. That is well-established now.

 

And that is why sighted evaluations are mostly meaningless.

[rando]

Back on subject. Strong beer is good beer to start the evenings drink and music pairing off with.

 

[Confused]

Some time ago I watched a BBC documentary. It was about an independent academical study of harmfulness of 20 (legal and illegal) substances. They took three aspects into consideration : social harmfulness, health harmfulness and death risk. The conclusion was - the most harmful drug on the market is obviously heroine. The next 3 places (I'm not completly sure this was the exact order but probably so): cocaine, methamphetamine and annabolic steroids. Number 5 ...alcohol.. Some academic commenting on this said 'if alcohol was invented recently there would be probably no chance for it to be legal anywhere in the world'. No 9 - tobacco, 10 - marijuana. No 17 - LSD, 18 - ecstasy (both are schedule 1 drugs in many countries meaning in the same group as heroin and in the USA marijuana is in the same group too).

 

BTW I think that a study on the infleunce of drugs on the perception and creation of music could be an interesting one.

 

Any thoughts on that, guys.?

 

And BTW my abovementioned 'non-alcoholic' period is in no way connected with watching this documentary.

 

This reminds me of the tail of the slightly unfortunately named Professor David Nutt. He was employed by the UK government to head up the 'Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs'. After much research, David and his team advised that Ecstasy (MDMA) should be down graded to a class B drug. The research showed that that Ecstasy was far less harmful than cocaine or heroin, indeed it indicated that overall it was less harmful than alcohol. The incumbent government did not take this advice too well, and PM Gordon Brown sacked poor old Proffessor Nutt.

 

Anyway, back on topic. If I am auditioning new kit or trying different things in my system, this will always be done stone cold sober. I also regularly listen to music whilst in the sober state and enjoy it tremendously. However, I would argue that music is itself a drug, and for me if is one of those rare occasions where I have had a drink or two, I actually start to crave music! As an example, about this time last year we had our department Christmas lunch. After the meal (with adequate wine) I made great moves to ensure that the after lunch drinks took place in a bar with a juke box. Not only did I crave music but I also wanted half a chance of listening to something chosen by myself. These things are subtly interrelated I think, going back to the afore mentioned Ecstasy, this is a drug more associated with a type of music that a type of person. It's all about feeding and stimulating the brain, one way or another.

[rando]

It's all about feeding and stimulating the brain, one way or another.

 

I note you are from the UK. Close enough to continental practices to note the importance of your closing statement. The importance of food and stimulation. Meals are a celebration not meant to be taken alone. Stimulating conversation and the creation of a good atmosphere release "drugs" into the nervous system. Beneficial, restorative, natural 'drugs' that exude good will in others. Encourage them to take up instruments which also encourages beneficial, restorative properties to the fore. Firstmost in all of this is lots and lots of good food. Eating that greatly outweighs the amount of alcohol consumed. Should the celebration continue to flourish some reversal is bound to occur. The cooks will drop off and people will either leave or be forced to keep their tongue wet.

 

I found myself thinking over all of this riding back home in 10 F weather on my Winter road bike yesterday afternoon with a possibly too fresh bottle of Trappist beer. A natural rhythm of life with some enjoyable toil. A large bottle of beer was about to be consumed, but it was the food and music radiating natural warmth and distracting me from focusing on the slight chill. Distancing myself from the idea forwarded here that if alcohol was invented today it would be impossibly harmful. Choosing to dwell only on the convivial and positive interactions it was already a part of.

 

Though I have some alternative thoughts on the recreational use of drugs it is everyone's right to expound their views here without my interference. I'll just note that to my eye it appears very similar to how alcohol was used against the Indians, opium against...

[Audiodinosaur]

In my old age, both my pallet and my hearing are not what they one were. Enjoy a great wine, not because you can detect leather in the bouquet, but because it is a great wine. Enjoy a top class audio system, not because of the ability to resolve the air between instuments, but because it draws you deep into the musical experience.

 

Do them both at the same time and enjoy a taste of heaven while still on earth.

 

That said, a few specifics.

Talisker (scotch)

Chateau Climens (desert wine)

Leoville las Cases (a great Bordeaux )

 

All have been enjoyed (along with a long list of others) while listening to music I love.

[r_w]

What a great post, agree entirely.

 

May I chime in with a few nice tipples:

 

Aberlour 12, Highland Park 12, Glenmorangie Nectar D'or

 

Puligny Montrachet, Vina Tondonia Rioja Blanco Reserva (or Gran), Alsace Grand Cru Gewurztraminer

 

Hermitage, Faustino 1 Gran Reserva Rioja, Brane Cantenac

 

Barsac/Sauturnes, Monbazillac, Lustau San Emilio Pedro Ximenez

 

Ought to finish with some XO Cognac or good Port.

 

... all with great music, on a great sounding system, with great company of course.

 

;-)

 

 

In my old age, both my pallet and my hearing are not what they one were. Enjoy a great wine, not because you can detect leather in the bouquet, but because it is a great wine. Enjoy a top class audio system, not because of the ability to resolve the air between instuments, but because it draws you deep into the musical experience.

 

Do them both at the same time and enjoy a taste of heaven while still on earth.

 

That said, a few specifics.

Talisker (scotch)

Chateau Climens (desert wine)

Leoville las Cases (a great Bordeaux )

 

All have been enjoyed (along with a long list of others) while listening to music I love.

[bluesman]

In my old age, both my pallet and my hearing are not what they one were. Enjoy a great wine, not because you can detect leather in the bouquet, but because it is a great wine. Enjoy a top class audio system, not because of the ability to resolve the air between instuments, but because it draws you deep into the musical experience.

Welcome and well said! As an intact and functional septuagenarian, I gratefully enjoy it all and will do so until I can no longer do so. And at that point, I hope I'll be as happy enjoying the memories. But 'til then...

 

[Ralf11]

ok, but how is your palate?

[mansr]

ok, but how is your palate?

And what of the palette?

[TubeLover]

Back on subject. Strong beer is good beer to start the evenings drink and music pairing off with.

 

Superb beer, and I had one two nights ago. At the top echelon of Christmas beer offerings worldwide.

 

JC

[TubeLover]

Clearly many people are imbibing heavily before listening or how else does one explain the success of Bose?

 

 

JC

[Ralf11]

Amar Bose was a genius and used psychoacoustic 'tricks' to enhance the listening experience for the average listener

[bluesman]

Amar Bose was a genius and used psychoacoustic 'tricks' to enhance the listening experience for the average listener

Bose was bright, but he wasn't exactly a genius as a designer and engineer (although he was a bit of a marketing genius). He was not the inventor of reflector speakers - there are multiple prior patents and examples (e.g. Dan Greenfield, Fred Martin). His only significant modification of the reflector principle was using the wall behind the speaker as the reflector, as all prior systems had a reflecting panel. Most prior reflector speakers had a hinged flap of some kind as part of the cabinetry, because the designers thought it necessary to be able to adjust the angle of incidence for best sound quality. Bose also used a single direct driver and multiple rear-firing drivers in the 901s for which he became known.

 

Bose's other "contribution" was heavy duty EQ between amp and speaker to "expand" the flat response range of multiple identical 4 1/2" drivers. When set to full output, the equalizers that came with the 901s boosted the lows by 18 db (!) at 35 Hz, which gave dramatic but relatively low fidelity sound. I remember 901s used without EQ for live sound reinforcement and stage monitors in the '70s with their backs pointed forward, so that the single "front firing" driver pushed some sound back to the band. They were grabbed up for almost no money from people who learned their lessons and moved on to better speakers at a time when the stage monitors we take for granted today were entirely unknown and most rock & blues bands and audiences were sufficiently mellowed out not to have noticed or cared about a lack of flat frequency response as long as there was thumping bass coming from the SVTs, Acoustic (that was a manufacturer's name) "bass bins", etc on stage.

[r_w]

Bosetox

 

Artificial, seemingly impressive sonics that quickly fall apart after the first few seconds of listening and instantly on any kind of close examination.

 

Buy hey, they don't half sell a lot of it.

 

Amar Bose was a genius and used psychoacoustic 'tricks' to enhance the listening experience for the average listener

[TubeLover]

Amar Bose was a genius and used psychoacoustic 'tricks' to enhance the listening experience for the average listener

 

That what the Bose commercials said!

 

JC

[rando]

Back to gentle snowstorms and mountain spring water. Can't rush perfection.

[Ralf11]

you ask his colleagues at MIT where he was a professor - see what they say

[rando]

About the man himself or the efforts to prolong the dissemination of inferior technology under his namesake?

 

Wait, I might need popcorn and a stiffer drink for this answer.

[rando]

Impetus to rekindle this topic before indoor sports season begins was mounting quickly.  Please refrain from ommitting a suitable beverage in your posts.  

 

 

 

Unexpectedly large amount of this came home with me when a local retailer made a move to replace their male customers with a rainbow of wine coolers and seltzers.  Nicely aged 4 years in a dark cool cellar.

 

[pdvm]

On 12/15/2016 at 5:05 PM, r_w said:

What a great post, agree entirely.

 

May I chime in with a few nice tipples:

 

Aberlour 12, Highland Park 12, Glenmorangie Nectar D'or

 

Puligny Montrachet, Vina Tondonia Rioja Blanco Reserva (or Gran), Alsace Grand Cru Gewurztraminer

 

Hermitage, Faustino 1 Gran Reserva Rioja, Brane Cantenac

 

Barsac/Sauturnes, Monbazillac, Lustau San Emilio Pedro Ximenez

 

Ought to finish with some XO Cognac or good Port.

 

... all with great music, on a great sounding system, with great company of course.

 

😉

 

 

 

Might I add:

 

Nikka Coffey Grain

 

Aberlour A'bunadh

 

Lagavulin 16

 

Ardbeg 10

 

in that order...

[Allan F]

On 12/7/2016 at 2:43 PM, sphinxsix said:

The conclusion was - the most harmful drug on the market is obviously heroine [sic].

 

How true. That woman is really dangerous.

[christopher3393]

Hawaiian Shirt Party from The Brewing Projekt of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Style: Imperial Kettle Sour

Aroma: Lots of tropical fruit aroma. The pineapple really stands out.

Appearance: Orange-copper color. Thick body. The off-white head is very bubbly and dense.

Texture: Full-bodied.

Taste: Assertive pineapple upfront. Notes of tangerine and orange emerge soon after. Very fruity and sweet. Also, the toasted coconut flavor is strong throughout. The kettle sour qualities are in the background remind the drinker this is still a beer; however, there’s so much fruitiness that what you take away is sweetness and warmth.

Finish/Aftertaste: Lingering juicy-sweet pineapple and coconut.

Glassware: Tulip glass is ideal.

Tip: Drink very cold to bring out its juicy notes of pineapple and tangerine.

 

Music Pairing: 

 

 

 

[rando]

Cool sunny day to enjoy a one off Imperial Chocolate Milk stout and authentic Swiss Alpenhorn symphony.  Sadly whole Hare was not on the menu.