High Performance Audio - The End?

Should read “does NOT sound good“
Sorry

@rvpiano,

’Maybe, just maybe, Magnepans, Quads and the like for all their high reputation, are not well balanced, but tweaked to achieve a certain end.’


I suspect this could be the case. On the right material they are said to be almost peerless. If I listened mainly to string quartets and vocals, they’d be at top of my audition list.

The theoretical advantage of an extremely lightweight driver must give them a distinct advantage over certain frequencies no doubt. It’s often stated that the bass end is where their problems lie, hence the lack of balance.

Excellent mids and highs, but not so excellent bass.

Hence the likes of Martin Logan with their hybrids attempting to seamlessly integrate the dispersion patterns of those differing technologies.

Until we begin to approach perfection it looks like it will always be a question of finding a balance. Some might prefer to tailor their system to their own particular musical tastes (which might well be narrow) whilst others might seek to assemble a system that covers all genres and all levels of recording quality.

There was an interesting post, perhaps relevant here by @donato here on AG back in 2005.



Electrostatic-vs-Planar strength, weakness

"I concur with what most are saying here. I had a complete Martin Logan surround setup with Prodigys up front. The detail/resolution and holographic presentation of vocals were jaw dropping. Sweet spot was small. Hybrid bass was fine by me, although others have felt it was problematic integrating.

In the end, I found the sound too analytical for my equipment, room, tastes. I replaced everything with a Magnepan surround setup. To my ears, in my system, in my room the Magnepans are more musical, natural, and forgiving. I definitely felt like I lost some detail, but I have no complaints with the Maggies in this regard."

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/electrostatic-vs-planar-strength-weakness

And, by corollary, a system which does sound good with good and bad recordings is similarly not balanced properly.

All corollaries are not equal.... :)

My system makes sound better, that is to say more listenable, except for sure a few rare atrocious one, the good and the bad files or cd alike...More than that, surprizingly, many cd or files i tought bad one sudddenly reveal itself good one....It takes a balanced system to rightly evaluate good from bad indeed,,,,

My system CANNOT transform a really bad files or cd in a good one....But really very bad files are rare amongst my near 10,000 cd or files....

But all is more listenable.... In this sense only, all files are improved, even the bad one....But more listenable or simply listenable is not synonymus with good recording....

In a word a balanced audio system, or in my words, a rightfully embedded one, makes ALL files more listenable...He does not miraculously transform bad apples in good one....But makes less fresh one taste more good yes....

My best to you....

I have a Krell Digital Vanguard Integrated, Yamaha A-S2100 SACD player, a BluOS Vault and JBL 4429’s.  I’ve owned 6 figure systems that did not offer me the level of enjoyment I receive from this humble system.Clear, dynamic and colorful with no compression.  Huge soundstage and a glorious midrange!

@douglas_schroeder 

“If you're running a $5-10K rig, then do not expect such music to sound great.”

How much do we have to spend to expect such music to sound great?  Wow!! I didn’t see that one coming from you. You should know better.