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Which attributes do you value most?

Here is a list of attributes commonly valued by audiophiles, in no particular order:

1. Resolution
2. Soundstaging
3. PRaT
4. Dynamics
5. Tonal balance
6. Harmonic content
7. Accuracy
8. Coherence
9. Frequency extension
10. Scale

The list could go on and on, but you get the idea. I’m interested to hear which attributes people prioritize above others. I don’t really have an agenda, except to learn more about how people’s values influence their approach to system building. With that in mind, it would be helpful if you listed a few of your components (assuming your system isn’t linked). So...

Which attributes do you value most?
bryoncunningham
samhar
1,048 posts
 
1) resolution
2) harmonic content
3) tonal balance
4) coherence
5) accuracy
6) prat
7) dynamics
8) frequency extension
9) scale
10) sound staging
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,314 posts
 
I value them all together.

Individually, they have no real value.
jazzcourier
205 posts
 
A superbly engineered and well recorded musical performance.If you do not have that all the things on your list become obstacles,not attributes.The value of a great sound engineer who understands the music,instruments and the critical placement of microphones to achieve that goal is the blank canvas that all recorded music stands before to paint it's masterpiece.With a great recorded performance you can start on your path to reproducing that audio image through your system,and start working on that list.
almarg's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
almarg
9,670 posts
 
1)Harmonic accuracy.

Which in turn encompasses or is affected by many of the factors that have been mentioned (tonal balance, harmonic content, accuracy, clarity, resolution, coherence, lifting of veils, freedom from distortion, etc.). To me "harmonic accuracy" is the most significant determinant of how "real" the instruments sound. I realize that by lumping its contributing factors together I am begging the question :-)

2)Clean transient response.

3)Dynamic range.

4)Frequency extension.

5)Image scale.

Best regards,
-- Al
ngjockey
1,042 posts
 
Natural. Don't really know what that means but I've spent a lifetime training my ears to hear it.
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