How not to audition (an amplifier)

Lovely narrative describing the joys and agonies of auditioning and having to make difficult decisions and choices.
I am not convinced that experience and memory are on opposite sides, as they are more likely to be associated and complementary rather than conflicting. I do however get the analogy you are trying to make in this narrative
The description of the sales and marketing experience in influencing your decisions resonates strongly.
As always a very entertaining and informative read, @essrand
 
Lovely narrative describing the joys and agonies of auditioning and having to make difficult decisions and choices.
I am not convinced that experience and memory are on opposite sides, as they are more likely to be associated and complementary rather than conflicting. I do however get the analogy you are trying to make in this narrative
The description of the sales and marketing experience in influencing your decisions resonates strongly.
As always a very entertaining and informative read, @essrand
Thanks for the read.

Experience and memory are very opposite, it's biological. There is a lovely chapter on this in Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow. Do take a look, quite enlightening, and almost life-changing. I have added some life-hacks in my arsenal of things, post this reading of Kahneman.
 
Around 90–95% of people don’t actually audition gear, they rely on online reviews and choose amps based on brand reputation and sound signature descriptions. A year later, the upgrade itch kicks in, and the cycle repeats.
 
Thanks for the read.

Experience and memory are very opposite, it's biological. There is a lovely chapter on this in Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow. Do take a look, quite enlightening, and almost life-changing. I have added some life-hacks in my arsenal of things, post this reading of Kahneman.
Thank you.
I am familiar with Daniel Kahneman and his work. This book is about the biases of our intuition and errors of judgment. That is, we assume certain things automatically without having thought through them carefully. Kahneman calls these assumptions “heuristics”. In this book he (with Amos Tversky), devotes several hundred pages listing hundreds of examples of how certain heuristics lead to muddled thinking, giving each a name such as “halo effect,” “availability bias,” “associative memory,” and so on.

His main focus was on intuitive/instinctive thinking and decision making (thinking fast) that is governed by our midbrain which in evolutionary terms is ancient (some call it the reptilian part of the brain) vs the more deliberate thinking (thinking slow) that is more recently evolved (again in evolutionary terms) which is governed by the fore brain/cerebrum. I had the privilege of attending a talk by Kahneman once and have used his profound insights while programming (my work on Adolescent health and development).

I do agree the Thinking fast and slow insights apply to our decision making on audio as much as they do for any decisions we take every day, all our lives. Unless it’s an emergency situation calling for quick action (flight or fright, or life saving responses) it’s best to make deliberate, well thought out and carefully considered actions. You have described this very nicely in your amplifier selection journey.

Here is an interesting take on Kahnemans work and how it relates to music
 
This video relates to aspects of expectation bias and how the Peak End Rule shapes memories and the role of expectations in creating impactful experiences.
 
Around 90–95% of people don’t actually audition gear, they rely on online reviews and choose amps based on brand reputation and sound signature descriptions. A year later, the upgrade itch kicks in, and the cycle repeats.
In India, most people don't have any other options. Slowly it's changing though.
 
A beautiful, well-constructed speaker with class-leading soundstage, imaging and bass that is fast, deep, and precise.
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