I'll also add that "accurate" is not necessarily conveying the music as intended, but rather the RECORDING as produced. Not always the same thing, as a number of posters have touched on. There are a lot of old recordings (in classical, early DG and some Columbias come to mind) with great performances but questionable sonics which can sound very moving on a low-to-mid fi system but will make your ears bleed on a system with flat frequency response.
Speakers that are very accurate sounding but don't produce an emotional connection.
I have listened to a few speakers over the years that impressed me with their accuracy and presentation of the music, but just did not create an emotional response or connection. I have often wondered what that quality is in some speakers that produce an emotional connection with the listener. This quality has been identified by audiophiles, as "magical", "engaging" "just right" "euphonic" "natural" "true to life". " "satisfying" "musical".... I am sure there are at least 50 other adjectives that could describe this "quality" of sound .
Considering the various aspects of achieving good and accurate sound by component synergy, is there a way to explain this so-called magical element that often eludes so many of us??. I don't think such a feeling is temporal, conditioned by personal moods, or the phases of the moon or sun.
Like to hear from members who have given some thought to the same issue. Thanks, Jim
BTW, I know the thread is a bit out there, but I don't think the topic is pointlessly pursuing the genie in the bottle.
- ...
- 97 posts total
Sunnyjim The Real World ? http://cdn.head-fi.org/6/67/6754547a_Rodrigues-anechoicdealer.jpeg |
For those of you replacing equipment or spending your $ chasing more "palpable" sounds of particular instruments on particular recordings - you won't ever stand a chance of achieving overall improvement on each and every recording. The only way to achieve greater performance overall is through equipment that is as accurate and transparent as possible. Equipment that works on each and every track and presents them as faithfully as possible. For sure a colourful speaker can make some recordings more enjoyable (to your taste) or lend themselves to a particular genre - if your tastes in music are extremely narrow then this approach may work for you. As for what was "intended" and trying to second guess that - well this just confuses the issue of high fidelity further instead of accepting the recording is what it is (imperfect and all that)! |
Shadorne- Assuming you refer to only excellent recordings, I agree that greater performance overall will come via accurate equipment setup correctly in an adequate room. That's been my experience anyhow, and yet I can't ignore that sometimes a louder and more forward instrument can be quite captivating and therefore more emotionally moving. It's possible that one can have extremely broad musical tastes, but still prefer some recordings over others not because of how faithfully they're reproduced but because they want to get that emotionally moving fix over and over again. Hey, I like me a mean sax which can be heard in countless genres of music. If I was a sax addict, I would probably be more likely to go in the direction of what pleases me most: more sax! Thank god I don't have that problem! |
For sure more color is attention grabbing just like a speaker with boosted bass and treble can seem wonderful in a short audition and particularly with certain tracks like Daft Punk. Over the years though, an accurate response will better portray your entire collection and lead to greater enjoyment. Think of of it like a partner - for the long haul, do you choose the sexy crazy insane person that is exciting and full of surprises but proves totally unreliable in many situations or a balanced person who is solid and just right in all the important ways both inside and out. |
- 97 posts total