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?
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.
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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..
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To clarify my post, I understand what you mean about adding color. But what I am suggesting is components which allow the color to pass through. To be dramatic, my Delta Sigma DAC is like this blinding bright white light putting a laser beam through the music. Dropping in my NOS DAC, the colors in the music suddenly appear. Neither is wrong, just depends on taste and the kind of music being played. The most natural way to ADD color, in my very limited experience, is a tube amp. Preamps and source components add a more color but usually some type of haze obscuring music as well. As roxy54 said, softer sounding speakers which place higher emphasis on tone, not detail, can also be perceived as more colorful.
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Color is in the details too not only in tone and timbre. You want it all. Tube preamp is very important, in addition to power amp. As for DACs, why would any audiophile want to listen in digital what was recorded and mastered in analog and then try to get as close to analog source as possible ? Sounds strange, doesn’t it ? If it was recorded/mastered in digital then, well, you have no choice, though good records still sound better even if the recording/mastering was done in digital. |
