Earlier on I have shown two Venn diagrams. This is the third version, and is my goal as the developer of Snakeoil, and as a audiophile. 

Contrary to what people expect, the two do not overlap at all. They only appear to be overlapping, but that is an illusion. Yes there is a correlation of measurements like bass/mid-range/treble that happens to coincides with the human hearing bands. That is a correlation and not an overlap. 

Measurements is about capturing the physical characteristics of the world; audibility is the accumulated feedback you get from your sensory perceptions. Put it another way measurements can define and describe the physical properties of sound ways (and the generation of it). Audibility is about what you hear and those feelings that are induced when your body and ear drums are hit by these physical waves. Measurements is in the machine realm, it’s about the gear. Audibility is in the human realm, it’s about you.

Over the past five years or so I have stopped breaking down music into the bands of bass/mid-range/treble and just let myself go and give in to the music. Constantly aware of any physiological, physical and emotional changes. When listening to music, I’m looking for -

• the number of hairs that’s raising on the back of your neck
• the cold shiver that runs up your spine
• triggering memories
• the suspension of disbelief as your mind is confused about what is real, and what is not

I call this active listening. It’s a process that is very hard to explain - mainly because it’s still a method I’m trying to figure out. But suffice to say this form of listening makes the gear totally disappear. It’s no longer about the equipment now, or the sound quality of your equipment. Is is only music, and nothing else.

Before anyone jump up and down and accuse me of giving up measurements for good, or become a subjectivist instead of objectivist. Look at the Venn diagram again, the measurements are still there, and it is a bigger circle than the audibility one.

I am (re)defining a new ethos here. Do not have a name for it yet, but it is about going back to the roots of where we come from - our primal emotions. This is what I believe to be the bigger picture. Re-adjust oneself to stop thinking music in terms of bass/midrange/bass/distortions/warm/bright/accurate/musical/<more audiophile terms> and think of music in terms of how it makes you feel.

If you succeed in doing this you are creating multiple portals of which you can enter, explore and experience the world from the perspective of the performers you are listening to. This is a surreal feeling and it can be a wild and crazy ride!

As an audiophile I have never felt happier, and enjoyed the hobby more using this method.

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