Sounds like the start of a steamy romance novel, right? Intimacy, as it pertains to our high-end audio systems, is such a great word because it describes how close we can get to the music. To become one with the artist or the work.
One of the great measures of how well a stereo system is working is its ability to connect you directly to the artist or the work. That despite the maze of wires, tubes, chassis, boxes, diffusers, and mishegas required to reproduce music in our homes, we cut right through to the heart and soul of the matter.
Some audiophiles rely on foot tapping as their measure of performance, others on the degree music moves them—and I have heard it described too as immediacy. For me, it's intimacy. How close does my system get me into the music?
The closer I get the more connected I am—and whatever upgrades, setup procedures, or work is required to get there, it's the intimacy that draws me like a moth to the flame.
How close are you to yours?
