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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
inna
7,296 posts
 
They should but they don't. That means that they all are very far from the reality of the recorded musical event.
And I don't really care if I like what's coming out of the speakers. And if by any chance this illusion actually sounds "better" than the reality, I will be more than happy.
The analogy with performance cars is incorrect, by the way.
nilthepill
842 posts
 
Yes. They should come as close as possible to the absolute sound. At that price.
I really don't buy an argument that we all hear differently. May be we do marginally but not enough to skew perception so much. I bet you we all can tell, blind folded, when live ( acoustic) music is playing in a room and which instruments are being played. Even when we all move to a different (diff acoustics) room.
inna
7,296 posts
 
Agreed. Really good hearing is just that - good hearing. Preferances is another thing.
Hell, I don't even know what the half of those instruments in a big orchestra are called. But when played live they sound, well, live; that's for sure.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
You would never get any agreement on what "best" is. There are`nt any all knowing sound gurus who could judge and determine whtat`s right for evevryone.The beauty of this hobby is is the subjectivity and thus it comes down to each person`s ears and perception, as it should.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Too many variables. Time of day, day of week, room acoustics, local seismic vibration characteristics, associated cabling, local power behavior, tube selection, CD treatments, etc.
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