How do you add color?


For those of you who are adherents of straight wire, ruler flat frequency response, accurate and neutral sound, artists’ true intentions, etc. ... please stop reading now. You’ve been warned. If you continue to read, you might get heartburn and since I’m a nice guy, I don’t want to do that to you.

Now, for those who are not opposed to adding a bit of color and flavor to tune/tweak the sound to their liking, what is your preferred method of madness? Speakers, amps, preamps, DACs, cables? I know many who like the combination of solid state amps with tube preamps. Lately, a lot of upmarket DACs are using tubes (Lampizator) or R2R to add a sort of tube-like flavoring. Let’s say you’re happy with your solid state amp but want to add a bit of tube magic to the chain, would you get there by way of tube preamps or tube DACs? Or both -- which might be too much of a good thing perhaps?

128x128arafiq

The problem is not the lack or the excess of colors...

It is only a symptom or a manifestation of unbalanced components synergy or the presence of a too harsh and bright component or of a too warm one...

The debate between colors and neutral is a red herring from the real problem which is synergy between components and acoustic embeddings...Most of the time it is reducible to these three factors : badly designed harsh or too warm component instead of more neutral component , synergy between more colored and less colored components and the right acoustics embeddings of them all...

Then que question to ask is not how to add color to a liveless harsh and fatiguing or too clinical system but how to create a balance and a synergy between the components/room...

We cannot and should not add color to a system , instead we must create a better synergy and balance between each components using electrical, mechanical and acoustical embeddings controls to the necessary synergy between dac and amp and speakers .....

To answer rightfully to a question implied that the question must be ask in the right way...

And remember that as much as upgrading a "defective" component is not the solution to the problem of balance between component by itself, (for example buying tubes components),  nor a solution for their optimal workings condition ; embeddings controls are the solution after the right created synergy is reach... And this is true with or without tube components or with or without analog or digital components... These debates between tubes and S.S. are BESIDE  the problem...And people often present upgrade or purchase as a solution, which is not and cannot be  by itself THE COMPLETE SOLUTION...

Oh, almost forgot.  Mundorf Supremes, used in B&W and Magico, are very colorful, almost splashy. 

An expensive but effective way to add color, IMHO.  Too much for me! :)

I think that speakers or electronics that portray timbre and texture well are perceived by the mind as "colorful."

You are DEFINITELY looking at the wrong avenue.

To enhance or color sound you need professional equipment such as sequencers, limiters, compressors and other effects. You can also go Youtube and get some idea on "making music for beginners" which basically instructs you on how to mix and enhance sounds. 

It's more entertaining than hi-fi especially if you've ever played any music on your own.

 

 

I think that speakers or electronics that portray timbre and texture well are perceived by the mind as "colorful."

Yes they are perceived as such because of the contrast with badly designed components which usually are harsh and analytical...

But in acoustics experience , timbre and texture are experienced optimally in BALANCED system/room with BALANCED and synergetical components...

Then we must wish FOR BALANCE not for colors...Even if a bit of unbalance may well serve and answer to some taste and even if perfect balance is not always the optimal possible  answer in particular case..