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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
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,216 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.
audiofreakgeek
115 posts
 

By the same logic then all high performance cars should drive the same.

The utopian goal is faithful reproduction, but apples to oranges each person's vision of nirvana is different.

Even faithful reproduction may not quell the audiophile desire to enhance what is there. A perfect reproduction of a particular event may still not be technicolor enough for certain listeners.

So as with every horse race people have their particular favorites and the toughest thing to judge is emotion, what moves one person may not move another.

Utopia is boring give me discord and a colorful struggle that is worth living for.
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bizango1
276 posts
 
"By the same logic then all high performance cars should drive the same."

Not really. There are high performance muscle cars, touring cars, sports cars, etc. All high performance in different ways. Me, I'd like a Ferrari but the next guy might like a new V8 Camaro.

Not likely we'll ever agree on what is "best" if for no other reason than our outer ears are shaped differently. Ever cup your hands behind your ears while listening and hear the dramatic difference? Or lean your head back against a reflective leather high-backed chair and hear the midrange become more pronounced?

Me? I'd rather rip around in a 300HP AWD Subaru WRX than a 300HP Camaro. Uh oh. What's best? American or Japanese or UK hifi?
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