Sanity Check

[Allan F]

41 minutes ago, gmgraves said:

What I've found is that even amps that I initially found unacceptable to my ears, after three or four weeks in my system, start to sound "normal" to me because I've gotten used to the sound! I find that I have to make my listening notes early, before this phenomenon occurs. If after some time in my system, I go back and listen while reading over the notes that I made while the unit was "fresh" to me, I can still hear the things that bothered me so much in my initial impressions, but the difference is, I've become used to those anomalies and they don't bother me any more.

 

I can't speak for you, but I would suggest that rather than the things that bothered one no longer doing so, they tend not to bother one as much. They do not disappear.  IOW, while the sound may become acceptable, it does not become desirable. Replacing that amp with the "normal' amp that preceded it will only serve to highlight and remind one of the deficiencies of the "unacceptable" amp.,

[Allan F]

5 hours ago, gmgraves said:

Rather than getting hung-up on semantics, lets say that I get to a point where I'm so used to the sound of the amp I'm reviewing that it's shortcomings are no longer noticeable by me unless I remind myself that they are there. We're not talking about my reference amp being glorious while the amp I'm reviewing is junk. We're talking about two pieces of equipment which just sound different (as opposed to one being bad)...

 

I understand your point, and I don't want to get hung-up in semantics either. But you used the term "unacceptable" to describe your initial listening impression. That suggests, to me at least, that you found the sound to be bad as opposed to different, from which one can infer that you thought the amp was junk.

[Allan F]

22 hours ago, Spacehound said:

Speakers aren't supposed to sound "spectacular", they are supposed to sound accurate.

 

They are when the a well recorded spectacular musical performance is being played through them.

[Allan F]

52 minutes ago, STC said:

 

Stereo width is fixed.  The width may appears to be extended due to side reflection. The more the speakers radiates to the sides the wider it may appear. Try putting thick rockwool on the side walls and play Simon Garfunkel - Sound of Silence. Simon and Garfunkel voice would appear to be coming from the left and right speakers respectively. 

 

"Stereo width" as defined by distance between speakers may be fixed, but the perceived width of the soundstage is not.  And that is what George is referring to.