Sound therapy

Listening to music helps beat stress, writes David Killick.

BUDGET TIP If you think hi-fi gear is pricey, think again. True, some top gear can be astronomical, but you can pick up a new separate amplifier, CD player and speakers for under $1500. Or look for secondhand. The quality will be superior to mid- priced, all-in-one systems. Well-made gear should last for decades, making it a sound investment - literally.

We have a truly eclectic music collection. Lots of international music: Haris Alexiou, a wonderful Greek female vocalist; Sertap Eriner, a successful young Turkish singer; legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz; the soundtrack from the amazing Indian film, Jodhaa Akbar; Boi Bumba, in Portuguese, a crazy Brazilian festival; 1960s French singer Francoise Hardy; Italian Andrea Bocelli and many more. If you can follow the lyrics, listening is a great way of learning the language. I'm on the lookout for CDs of French singer-poet Jean Ferrat (my old tapes are past their use-by date).

We love jazzy female vocalists - Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Jane Monheit, Madeleine Peyroux and The Press's own Rosa Shiels. Male vocalists like James Taylor or the mellow Benny Chawes. And we have choral music, folk music and classics.

I still have some old LPs. Admittedly, they are crackly, but we can still play them.

I prefer sitting down to listen and have never been smitten by wandering around with those tiny earbud speakers. Listening while cooking or washing up is therapeutic. Or throwing the doors open and letting the music waft outside (our neighbours in the old folks' home don't seem to mind).

Relaxing in the evening with a glass of wine and listening to music can often be more satisfying than watching TV. Music has the power to transport you to other worlds, to bring joy and pathos, to touch the soul.

Appreciating music and audio obsession are not the same, thankfully. But I find separate components knock the socks off medium-priced, all-in-one "music systems". I still think lots of people are missing out on appreciating the power of a performance because they are listening through poor gear, or making do with a compressed MP3 recording. Downloading music seems too complex anyway; I'd far rather buy a quality recording.

Most of our gear is pretty ancient. Our old Akai integrated amplifier is still going strong. Our American Acoustics speakers are mounted on wooden stands I made myself and painted black.

We have just bought one new item: a CD player, by British firm Cambridge Audio. Top-Hi Fi store owner Bruce Kirksby patiently demonstrated several CD players. And there really was a difference.

I didn't think I would be able to appreciate it because my hearing is less than about 20,000 Hz in the high frequencies. I'm told this is common in males as they pass 40. It incidentally explains why they have trouble listening to women. Honest!

The Cambridge Audio CD player, in black with its glowing blue LCD display, looks sleeker than the old gear, but what matters is how it sounds. It's crystal clear; we can hear separate instruments and feel we are listening to a concert, not a CD. It's got what the experts call a wide "soundstage".

The only trouble is it is so accurate that it highlights the slightest imperfection in the original recording.

- © Fairfax NZ News