When I listen to my system.......


As I have stated many times, I listen to the musicianship and the composition. As I listen to SRV, just as an example, there are three musicians working together to create a "performance". How is it that anyone can put tone, sound staging, or anything else with the "sound" before the performance. There is much information on our recordings, and generally, many of these recordings are just so so with the fidelity. In fact, why do many listeners only listen to top notch recordings of higher fidelity, of the "sound", rather than appreciate those qualities I look and listen for. Is it because I was a singer / vocalist in my youth? Is it because I was around musicians who shared the joy of "music"? Is it because at a very early age, I was introduced to big band music and eclectic performances by so many, via my dad (he would have been 100 today; happy birthday dad). Yes, I consider myself an audiophile, because I spend money on gear and am careful with my dedicated room....my system allows me to hear more of the performance. But, it is the "music", the "performance", that matters most to me. I suppose I am feeling a bit nostalgic today, because of my pops. I am bringing this up again, because I do not understand the mentality of folks who listen differently than I. I know this subject might be ad nauseum to many, but some of the folks I used to design systems for, became less interested in the music, and more about the sound, placing the music and performance secondary, or not at all. I am just venting. If you would like to add to this post, I welcome all thoughts. No judgement from me. I wish everyone well. Enjoy! MrD.

mrdecibel

Correction. Laptops are now being used instead of boom boxes....I am dating myself.

Claiming a recording IS real music is analogous to saying a photograph of my dog IS my dog (without the fur :-). Really not the same thing at all.

No not at all. It comes down to your definition of music and I choose to agree with Wikipedia’s. I don’t know who’s definition you are using.

From Wikipedia:

Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise expressive content.

Music may be performed using a wide variety of musical instruments, including the human voice. It can also be composed, sequenced, or otherwise produced to be indirectly played mechanically or electronically, such as via a music box, barrel organ, or digital audio workstation software on a computer.

There is nothing to say that the sequence of sounds must be produced "on the fly" and this last paragraph would include recorded music which is indirectly played.

"None of us are listening to music on our systems". Keep telling yourself that. I am done with this ridiculous commentary of yours, however, I still wish you my best. MrD.

Hopefully last response to this rabbit hole

Once music is recorded/reproduced you leave the world of music and enter the world of music reproductionwhich is why we gather in this forum to discuss gear, not performers/performances (unless it is to clarify a point regarding gear).

This is patently false given the topic named Music with over 10,000 threads in it on this forum.  Without having perused them I feel safe in assuming many folks here have gathered to discuss music likely outside the context of their gear.

I like the direct emotional link to the music. One that draws me in and makes me close my eyes and sway. Making most recordings sound great. So, that is the kind of system I put together… it excels balance between all the aspects… detail, bass, tonal balance, imaging, rhythm and pace… etc

@ghdprentice, exactly my sentiments.  My system makes everything sound good.  Shitty recordings sound decent, excellent recordings sound excellent.  This works very well for me because despite the money that I have invested, paradoxically I listen now to a lot of bootlegs from the ‘70’s, which sometimes are good and sometimes not so good.  But my system has just the right balance for me.  I am happy.  And I’d like to put in a plug for the Shunyata Everest, my last acquisition that finished off that sound and depth of stage that I have been looking for.