Listener fatigue

[goraman]

Listening fatigue is a funny thing, it seems to only happen to people over 30.
I think the dirty little secret is as we age we don't listen to music for really extended periods of time as often as we did when we where younger. Not being able to except we just get tired of music faster we blame it on our perfectly good gear.

True there are some systems with terrable peeks in the upper ranges but few would bother a younger listener.
So much of this has been made to sell very very expensive fixes to a problem that may just be in our minds.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Never had the problem myself - is it just a less painful way of saying "I don't really like the sound of my hi-fi"?

[Reid Malenfant]

25 watts of Class A Mark Levinson (and well known for overheating!):

Ah, now that's what I was attempting to get accross Not exactly a small amount of heatsinking needed...

Cheers Chris

[Tim]

I think the dirty little secret is as we age we don't listen to music for really extended periods of time as often as we did when we where younger.

Interesting thought there Jeff and I reckon there could be a lot of truth in that. However, in my case I have in fact turned full circle and now play music more than I have ever done in my entire life (I'm 53). My peaks were from around 14 to 18 and probably again in the last 2-3 years, but it's gone off the scale in the last 12 months, thanks to all the kind peeps on AoS, who changed my entire system for me without them (or me) even realising it was happening So Chris I think is bang on about not being happy with how a system sounds. I'm blissfully happy now in my Harbeth/Rega heaven.

Can I just say as an aside too Jeff that I really enjoy reading your posts. Always interesting, often thought provoking and sometimes controversial but above all very entertaining.

[Macca]

Are we distinguishing here between fatigue and boredom? Fatigue for me is when the sound is unpleasant. Almost certainly down to distortion - could be the source, amp or speakers. Boredom is when it is just not intersting to listen to. Normally becasue the sound is too dull in the top and lacking in fast transients and dynamics.

[goraman]

No, I'm talking about normal aging and it's effects on the mind as we get older most people listen to music less often and over shorter periods of time.
When we are young we listen to music more often than our parents and they listen more often then then grandma and grandma.
Think about it my stepfather Tom spent thousands of dollars on audio and after 35 never used it much. When I asked him why as a late teen he said it's part of getting older.
You just can't focus on enjoying music for more than an hour and then it just becomes annoying .
Are there exceptions of course but how meany 60 year olds still rock out for hours a day? very few if we are being honest.

[synsei]

I can honestly say Jeff that I listen to more music now than I did as a teenager, does that make me weird?

[goraman]

I can honestly say Jeff that I listen to more music now than I did as a teenager, does that make me weird?

yes

[Reid Malenfant]

Maybe what you are refering to is more a having kids & being married Jeff? Not having the time...

I have been listening to music for well over eight hours now

Lots of new stuff to, but some that I have heard previously. In all honesty I don't know what it is, but as we get older out high frequency hearing deteriorates, so a metalic tweeter doing it's worst should be less of a problem than when we are younger in all honesty

[goraman]

Maybe what you are refering to is more a having kids & being married Jeff? Not having the time...

I have been listening to music for well over eight hours now

Lots of new stuff to, but some that I have heard previously. In all honesty I don't know what it is, but as we get older out high frequency hearing deteriorates, so a metalic tweeter doing it's worst should be less of a problem than when we are younger in all honesty

The tweeter thing is my point it dosen't bother a young listener but as we age sound becomes more of an ire-taint to us.
Maybe not all of us but things change in our mental make up as we age.
It's just normal life for most of us. but that doesn't mean all of us.