Communicating

Communicating with words is complicated. You have to know words to understand other words. Just look at a dictionary to note that one word is defined by the use of many others. A French dictionary is of no use to an English speaker. This paradox reminds me of a cookbook I once purchased, the Epicurean, by Charles Ranhofer. Written in 1893, the famed chef of New York's Delmonico restaurant wanted to share his gastronomical delights and secrets with the world. 3,500 recipes and I couldn't make one of them. Turns out each recipe required the mastery of another. Sauces were based on other sauces, which were based on yet other sauces. It's not only words and recipes that require some knowledge and experience to appreciate. Turns out high-end audio's a bit like that too, but with one difference. Music and its reproduction speak a universally understood language. We all know when a voice sounds like a voice, an instrument like an instrument. It doesn't take a dictionary or cookbook to get it. One quick listen is all you'll need.