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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
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?
mceljo OP
1,357 posts
 
There is no standard for a sports car that manufactures are trying to reach. The reality is that audio manufactures are "stuck" building to personal taste on some level because approaching a perfect reproduction seems to be impossible. In audio there's loss at every step in the audio process, but the ideal state would be that you couldn't tell the difference between a live accoustic sound and the reproduction coming from your speakers.
mceljo OP
1,357 posts
 
Mapman - I had one listening experience with the Focal Grande Utopia's when I was purchasing my 836v's where my friend and I both agreed that when making the switch from the 836v speakers to the Grande's we preferred the 836v. We both thought that the 836v made us forget about the speakers themselves. Then we realized that we were at the wrong listening location for the Grande's. Amazing difference when we moved back abouta foot.

My take away was that the 836v was a pretty great value if there was any scenario where I could concieve of preferring it over the Grande.
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