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"Bridge Over Trouble Water" sounds artificial

During the pandemic I've been upgrading my sound system.  I used to enjoy Simon & Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Trouble Water".  With my upgraded equipment the hi resolution audio sounds very synthetic, with one track on top of another, not like real music at all.  The voices are doubled and violins just layered on top.  On my same system, I played a live concert of Andre Previn playing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue".  It sounded real and beautiful, like a live performance.  Am I doing something wrong?
aeschwartz
jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 
op's query has been covered well here

suffice it to say that most pop/rock recordings are mastered without any thought to how they will sound on high end system

hi end hi fi is a niche... mass market recordings truly don't give a sh*t 
dave_b's avatar
dave_b
3,159 posts
 
Systems that Emphasize imperfections in recordings have become synonymous with High Resolution Sound...the details are present on most systems, but the emphasis is more on the Music rather than the artifacts of a recording.  Been there and found it antithetical to the enjoyment of music.  Two words to avoid when building a system are Flat and High Resolution!
gosta's avatar
gosta
839 posts
 
Disagree.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,258 posts
 
To build upon Dave b's post -- if you put together a system that makes music you love sound bad, then what exactly have you accomplished?

As a thought experiment, imagine how BOTW would sound on a good system in 1970.
dave_b's avatar
dave_b
3,159 posts
 
That is one horrid recording...period!  Nothing could ever save that mix.
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