Progressive Rock

Nrchy,

This is where the controversy enters the picture.

In theory, no. If a system "accurately" reproduces Pink Floyd, or King Crimson, there not a reason it would not do so for a Mozart piano concerto or a Carl Orf cantata.

It all depends on how you define the word "accurately".

I would say the emphasis w/rock would be a spkr. that produces plenty of bass, so a large floorstander would fit the bill. Some folks might opt for standmounts w/sub but I've never liked the integration. Depends on personal preferences.

Then in order to deliver the music in excess of 100 dB's w/o distortion (if required), one would need to have an amp capable of doing the job. Not meaning to deviate into an amp thread or any other component, let me just say not all amps (components) are created equal & some will do the intended job better than others. Again, remember it's all about personal tastes.

The source would need to be on the warmer side of neutral to cover up recording flaws & the cables would follow this pattern. Of course this IMO and that's how I like to listen.

I agree with your precept that the system doesn't know what it's playing, so a good sounding system should be able to reproduce all music accurately but different genres of music emphasize different aspects of sound reproduction & not all stereo gear does all of these things the same way.

It basically boils down to individual taste & I believe the more we personalize our systems, the more it tends to be in line with the type of music we prefer.

nrchy - we are in 100% complete agreement! mark the calendar! stop the presses!

that's exactly why i built my system the way i did.

and nrenter - accuracy is not subjective. it's measurable and real. one may prefer a certain style of distortion, but they're wrong if they call it accurate.

Another Prog head here, interesting thread !!!

I agree with driver, it really does come down to personal taste. My system is light in the bass department but I accept that tradeoff for the huge soundstage and incredible mids I get from my Dunlavy/PrimaLuna combo. The Krell I used to use had more bass but I find myself listening to more music now than I used to because the krell tended to make average cd's(many prog) sound bright. I find myself putting on an album and listening to the whole thing now. I guess that must mean I enjoy what I have.