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Should the best systems sound almost identical?

If the overall goal of audio equipment and the various media types is to reproduce recorded music the way it sounded when it was being recorded, then it seems that as an audio system gets closer to achieving this goal various systems should sound more and more alike.

For example, in a utopian world my stereo system would so perfectly reproduce a singers voice that if they were standing between the speaker you couldn't tell the difference in an A/B test. If the equipment is adding a characteristic sound the listener would be able to tell a difference. The less of the systems characteristic sound the closer to the actual singer the recording would be.

Taking this another step, does it make sense that the "better" speakers are the more they should sound the same? Should they not be getting closer to the perfect reproduction of the signal that is given them?

How about the Focal Grande Utopia speakers that retail for $180,000 vs. some of the crazy expensive MBL stuff. I'd venture a guess that they sound nothing alike. Almost seems like speakers at this level should almost be interchangeable in a system at least at the sweet spot.
mceljo

Showing 2 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,149 posts
 
"How about the Focal Grande Utopia speakers that retail for $180,000 vs. some of the crazy expensive MBL stuff. I'd venture a guess that they sound nothing alike. "

You would be correct.

I happened to hear the Focals just this past weekend. They share a lot of attributes one would attribute to very high end gear, but I think are quite distinctive sounding from others including mbl I have heard in the same league.

Which is better would be mostly a personal judgement call more than anything quantitative. Like choosing one beautiful woman over another. Same kind of thing.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,149 posts
 
Mc,

I have heard other smaller Focal's as well.

Size and cost makes it an apples/oranges comparison of sorts, but smaller speakers can certainly often deliver just as much or more enjoyment, which is what it is all about, in some rooms.

To me sound is about quantity as well as quality. Depending on the room, it is very easy to go overboard with too much of a good thing.

For any particular room, to me, there is a point of diminishing returns in regards to speaker size and associated cost. You want to max out what can be done in the room but not pour money down a hole, which can be easily done in this hobby, in teh process.
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