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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
tzh21y OP
1,654 posts
 
Lets take a wedding band for example.  In one hall the same band will sound different from another.  Same musicians, the same instruments.. maybe they would sound worse in say a cinderblock walled firehall than say a drywalled hotel hall.  These are "colorations" I would think.  Is a lot of it room dependent?  I mean maybe a certain, lets say "neutral" sounding system may sound terrible in a basement with a concrete floor and walls vs a interior room with hardwood floors and drywall.
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tzh21y OP
1,654 posts
 
Steve Guttenberg: I am an Audiophile | Stereophile

On youtube, Steve talks about how only 1% of music recorded actually sounds like the real thing.  Everything is processed, colored so to speak.
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213runnin
914 posts
 
Tzh21y, whatever is done in that case, to process the music would be done to achieve a sound that the producer intends.  So the finished product is a sound that is intended, whether one agrees with this processing or not.

This is why I usually prefer a system that is neutral, because I want to hear the music as the artist and producer intended.  Having components or speakers that color the sound would be detrimental to that goal.

I have found that some loudspeakers are intentionally designed to color the sound.  The ones that surprise me are the brands that attempt to hide this fact from customers, and just present their product as "sounding" better while hiding certain specs from the public.  
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