Indeed, to your first point, generally, hi fi shops tend not to feature "laid-back" sounding equipment (at least not in my experience), nor, in fact, is that much of it made (if what you're talking about is really about an easy going mid-hall kind of sound). Most shops feel compelled to show equipment with a lot of "wow" factor--lots of detail, very "in the same room as the cymbals" kind of sound.
The "wow" factor is kind of fun, but you get it at a cost. The "wow" equipment that I've had has tended to become fatiguing with lots of hours of use with lots of kinds of music and recording styles. In one of the earlier incarnations of my system, about 1 in 4 CDs sounded fabulous, 1 sounded pretty good, and 2 of 4 were distinctly unpleasant. I concluded that was not how I wanted to live my musical life, and went on a long quest to find more of a mid-hall sound (or what I think of as a more "forgiving" sound). I'm sure some would say that I lost some accuracy. I certainly lost of bit of detail...but my ears told me, after a while, that what I lost wasn't what real music sounds like (generally) anyway. Instead of being focused on the treble (where a lot of the "wow" factor is), my system is now more about mid-range and to some extent bass.
And, with all due respect, it's not just speakers, by any means. It's in the whole ball of wax. I now use Harbeth speakers, Cardas Cross cable, a BAT pre-amp with NOS tubes, several different CD players, and I've gone back to analog as well, which tends to sound more "laid back" than CDs, to me. All of these items, compared to other items I tried, made a notable difference in going the direction I wanted to go. And, I can make a simple amp change, and go from laid back, mid-hall to "you are there" sound...I just switch out whichever of my tube amps I'm using and plug in my transister BEL amp. I can get some of the same effect by switching CD players (Wadia modified by GNSC, EAR Acute, EMM CDSA) as well. And do so, on purpose, depending on what I'm playing and how I want to hear it.
In the end, it's all a preference issue, seems to me...except it's kind of hard to get the more laid back, forgiving sound, because you really have to look for it and, as you did, ask a lot of questions. Sometimes I think some of it might be a function of age. I'm 52. I went to music school and played in a fusion band...all testosterone and adrenalin. "Wow" factor was everything. Now, I guess I'm like Shadorne describes--if not a few stages beyond--you young guys can have your "wow" factor...I want my music like a warm bath.
The "wow" factor is kind of fun, but you get it at a cost. The "wow" equipment that I've had has tended to become fatiguing with lots of hours of use with lots of kinds of music and recording styles. In one of the earlier incarnations of my system, about 1 in 4 CDs sounded fabulous, 1 sounded pretty good, and 2 of 4 were distinctly unpleasant. I concluded that was not how I wanted to live my musical life, and went on a long quest to find more of a mid-hall sound (or what I think of as a more "forgiving" sound). I'm sure some would say that I lost some accuracy. I certainly lost of bit of detail...but my ears told me, after a while, that what I lost wasn't what real music sounds like (generally) anyway. Instead of being focused on the treble (where a lot of the "wow" factor is), my system is now more about mid-range and to some extent bass.
And, with all due respect, it's not just speakers, by any means. It's in the whole ball of wax. I now use Harbeth speakers, Cardas Cross cable, a BAT pre-amp with NOS tubes, several different CD players, and I've gone back to analog as well, which tends to sound more "laid back" than CDs, to me. All of these items, compared to other items I tried, made a notable difference in going the direction I wanted to go. And, I can make a simple amp change, and go from laid back, mid-hall to "you are there" sound...I just switch out whichever of my tube amps I'm using and plug in my transister BEL amp. I can get some of the same effect by switching CD players (Wadia modified by GNSC, EAR Acute, EMM CDSA) as well. And do so, on purpose, depending on what I'm playing and how I want to hear it.
In the end, it's all a preference issue, seems to me...except it's kind of hard to get the more laid back, forgiving sound, because you really have to look for it and, as you did, ask a lot of questions. Sometimes I think some of it might be a function of age. I'm 52. I went to music school and played in a fusion band...all testosterone and adrenalin. "Wow" factor was everything. Now, I guess I'm like Shadorne describes--if not a few stages beyond--you young guys can have your "wow" factor...I want my music like a warm bath.
