I am a photo buff. Have been shooting pictures both as a professionaland anamateurfor most of my adult life. I shoot with a fancy pro camera. I shoot because I love the process, the kit, the whole magilla. In fact, sometimes when I frame a shot in the viewfinder that floats my boat I get so excited I shoot it again just because it felt so good.
There are plenty of cameras today that shoot excellent pictures but I never think about using them because they are not high-end and don't give me the same experience - even though they may give good results.
It occurred to me that there is a great similarity between high-end cameras and high-end audio - one that might be instructive to us. In fact, I have of late been using cameras to help explain what high-end audio is to people who ask me what I do.
I bought my wife Terri a small Canon camera that shoots 12 megapixel photos and produces wonderful shots on occasion - some rivaling mine from my 21 megapixel Canon 5D. In the same way I have heard wonderful music coming out of lower cost systems that did not have high-end intentions. So, what's the difference? Consistency and trust.
When I see something I want to capture and I grab Terri's little camera, I don't trust it and the results usually reflect the lack of trust. It takes forever to snap the picture, I can't control the exposure and focus to match what my mind's view is relative to the camera view. When I pick up the 5D it's instant, does exactly what I want and the results are 100%. In fact, when I look at the resulting picture I am always blown away because it's usually better than what was in my mind's eye.
If I take you into the PS listening room I am confident in what you'll hear and experience. Can you get that same experience elsewhere? Sure, but not consistently and I do not trust you'll have the experience representative of what we call high-end audio.
If you want the real deal - you gotta go for it.
