Get out and listen!

I have had season tickets to the Oregon Symphony 8th row center for ten years. 7th row center is the “classic” best audiophile seat. But I found in this particular venue 8th is better.

Although, to my horror they installed a cutting edge DSP sound system. Just the kind of leading edge technology like the CD when originally released. In my seats up until a few weeks ago it was not audible (as it shouldn’t). The point was to allow them to tune the auditorium to special concerts… Rock, jazz… etc. and to allow folks in the back to hear the concert as if in the front.

I brought a friend to a classical performance a few weeks ago and suddenly it sounded like a high school auditorium with echoes at huge volume from behind. The concert was simply horrible. Not a nuance of natural sound. I could see instruments in front of me and hear them behind me.

I immediately contacted all the VIce Presidents. The Vice President of Operations responded to me and sat in on the last performance of the symphony. He thought he noticed some anomalies. Obviously as horrible as the sound was he knows nothing about sound or acoustics. We had a telephone conversation where he tried to placate me. But clearly no action was to follow.

Fortunately, my friend who had joined me (and audiogon forum member), a professional musician and professional Audio engineer stepped in and told him in no uncertain terms the system was completely screwing up the sound. Which seemed to get a response. I’ll see this weekend.

I have implemented leading edge technologies all my career. This can be a huge problem when marketing guys pitch technology to business folks who have no idea what is behind the technology. I know of a number of huge companies (that had thousands of employees, that no longer exist because the implemented technology beyond their understanding and destroyed their ability to do their core business. I hope very much this is not the end of the Oregon Symphony as a fantastic acoustical orchestra.

@ghdprentice - Sorry to hear about your sound issues. It'd be a shame if they screwed it up in the name of "progress". I live in Edmonds just north of SEA. The arts center is a really nice venue. Saw Travis Tritt do an acoustic set there and he was great. Excellent sound too. I need to see when the next chamber performance is.

@cd318 - I know what you mean. I haven't turned my system on since the concert. I'm almost afraid to! 😉

+1 musicfan2349

Live listening is just awesome....

Nothing beats as many good quality live performances as one can soak in to get the true vibe of what music should sound like. 

Redmond is 20 min from Edmonds, and you are welcome anytime. Not Benaroya, not from where you are used to at any rate, but I have been way up in the balcony where it actually sounds better at home. 
In any case what you said about live acoustic instruments is gospel. As a kid in grade school they had a Seattle Symphony Orchestra violinist come play in class. Was like 3rd or 4th grade.
Still recall like yesterday when he showed us the violin how his every touch set it to resonating. When he played it the power and intensity was electric. He had us close our eyes- this is one violin, he said, and played a melody. This is four violins, and played some chords and it did sound like four! 
We went on a field trip to Seattle, the Opera House, and that was my first time at a concert. 
Then all through Jr High and High school I played French horn. So for an hour a day for 6 years I heard real live instruments almost every day. All during that time I was an audiophile, yes even in grade school. And knew from childhood to appreciate the live sound. Even so, it bears repeating, and I think a lot of what ails high end audio would go away in a heartbeat if only more of us would take your advice and go out and listen.