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What exactly is colored sound?

I guess the definition would be a deviation from what what was originally intended but how do we really know what was originally intended anyway?  I mean solid state mostly sounds like solid state.  I guess that would be a coloration, push pull amps and set have their own colorations.  It seems we try to denote certain definitions to either promote or dis certain sounds I guess.  We could have a supposedly neutral amp but their just is not enough bass so we turn up the subwoofer or the bass, a coloration per se.  I guess one could say that colored sound would be a good thing.  after all, each instrument has its own sound (color).  A mullard, a telefunken, I mean who knows what tubes were in the recording studios at the time of the recording.  Syrupy, sweet, rich, NEUTRAL, forward, backward I mean really...  I guess its all about certain preferences for each person.  even in the studio.  who knows, maybe a recording may be meant to sound syrupy or sweet and then we try to make it as neutral as possible.  Maybe thats a coloration in itself.  I guess what I am asking is why do reviewers use the word colored in reviews anyway?
tzh21y
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
tzh21y
What exactly is coloured sound?
Coloured sound can happen when the sound of preceding equipment is changed by the next piece of equipment, and so on and so on all the way to the speakers.
  
Ivor Tibenbrun inventor of the Linn Sondek turntable, had a famous saying,
"It all starts with the source get that as right (uncoloured) as possible and your 1/3rd of the way there"

Cheers George
inna
7,296 posts
 
Coloured and sterile sound is what we want to avoid. What we don't want to avoid is colorful sound, that's how the instruments sound live. When recording, you can never fully capture it, so if reproduction system adjusts for that - that's good. In other words - what the microphones heard is not good enough, they distorted the sound picture. Only what ear heard is good enough.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
In other words - what the microphones heard is not good enough
In other words your saying mega dollar recording microphones are not flat or calibrated flat?
I think a lot of recording engineers would have something to say about that.

Then if your saying they have distortions, there’s no piece of equipment can un-distort something that has distortion without worse side effects.

Cheers George
inna
7,296 posts
 
That's right. But we can keep trying. Along with recording engineers and equipment makers, especially speakers makers. Speakers are sort of instruments, they are more than pieces of equipment.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
It’s a fine line. Obviously, the sound should be "colorful" and instruments should have their own characteristic color. Otherwise all violins would sound the same, all trumpets and saxophones would sound the same. Without color there would be no music. Untreated stock out of the box digital is what I would call music without color. Monocchromatic. Music should have character. 
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