Compressing expectations

The key to keep from being dissatisfied is lowering expectations. In this vein, I was happy to hear that modern youths prefer the sound quality of MP3 over uncompressed or real sound. They will be so very happy.

From the very start of MP3, at least after finding out what it did, I was worried that the approach would mess with heads. Apparently it did, because I have all my media in an Apple TV, with a laptop external disc backup of the library for travel. I do know better of course, but in the laziness versus quest for optimum sound equation, this won out.

And maybe it is OK. One of my grandfathers was obsessed with sound quality, partly from a professional stance, due to his work correcting LP records at Philips and tuning concert grand piano's at Concertgebouw. He was never happy with the sound, at least not for long. An endless stream of prototype Philips gear passed through his house, and I was always duly impressed until the next generation of Hi-Fi came around.

And I remember being touched by the sound of the Eagles "One of these nights" from the tiniest transistor radio on my return to home after being held in Eastern Europe for a month. So go on, compress. Although I might succumb to vinyl and tube amplifiers any time, due to genetic predisposition.