The Absolute Sound vs Pleasing Sound

First, let me begin by saying I love music.  Almost all music, very few exceptions.  I also love audio equipment.  I have had excellent equipment over the years,  Tubed amplifiers from the best, Wilson speakers, expensive connection cables, designated rooms with wall treatments, on and on it goes.  Now I’ve gone to streaming with good equipment and excellent speakers, average connections.  So why?  You will never reproduce music as it was actually played. Most concerts are held in huge buildings, awkward seating and distance.  Reproducing that sound is a waste of time.  Music on record or cds have been engineered. In many cases the original sound was not so good and made better by an engineer.  Searching for the perfect sound is in the ear of the beholder.  No two people hear the same.  In my opinion it’s like looking for that perfect driver for your golf game.  Every year the manufactures have now developed the one for you.  Whoever said stop when you find the sound you like was in my opinion correct.  Save your money for something more important because people spend millions on this search and still are not happy.  It’s how you hear the music that counts.  As Happy Gilmore says, go to your happy place, relax and enjoy what you have. This hobby can be incredibly expensive and be never ending.

**** . I only expect to try and reproduce whatever medium I’m listening to with as little coloration as possible. ****

We are in agreement.

IOW, what does “with as little coloration as possible” mean if not trying to get as close as possible, as concerns timbre, to the sound heard live? Of course, also accounting for the medium’s influence on the original (live) sound.  

As I have pointed out, I would add detail of dynamic nuance as a second priority. In a sense, distortion of dynamic nuance is a “coloration” of sorts.....in the realm of dynamic performance. Components have a signature not only as concerns timbre and the amount and type of coloration that they add to timbre, but also in their dynamics performance; how they convey rhythm.

Fool’s errand? Not in my book.

With as little coloration as possible in the electronics, in other words tube distorion generators need not apply. Straight wire with gain or at least transparent within a humans auditory range. All we're doing is trying to reproduce the medium not the concert.

It seems many people, reading many posts for me, have no idea at all about what is TIMBRE perception...it is normal it is a very very complex concept taking 5 steps to be only grossly described....Then....

First it is impossible to perfectly record the original lived timbre event.... The mic choices type and location make it impossible... Add to it all mixing and all the three kind of noise linked to all reproduction system you have ...No perfect reproduction is possible...

Second it is possible to RECREATE in your room, if your room is well prepared and controlled acoustically, an experience of TIMBRE perception which will do justice to the lived original TIMBRE event ....But it is impossible to RECORD it totally and exactly like it was in the firsat place....It is impossible to perceive it like the original event was also..... It is only possible to recreate it relatively "near" his original truth using acoustical laws for your room settings....Not electronic design of speakers or dac or turntable or any gear only... But mainly the recreation by your ROOM of the original event...Not his pure REPRODUCTION, his recreation only....It is possible by acoustic principle in working use...


The perception of sound and the experience of music has been polluted by too much electronic engineering vocabulary and market hype and not enough acoustic science vocabulary...

Most people are so ignorant they called the most important tools to fine tune room acoustic "tweaks" namely only secondary addition to the audio system.... The Controls of the  mechanical electrical and acoustical working dimensions are fundamental not secondary addition to the basic electronic design... And between the three source of noise acoustic is the main source and also the main tool....

Audio is almost ALL acoustic.... Not electricity first.....Pecording is electricity and electronics....Perceiving is not.... Timbre cannot be recorded like it was originally it ask for some acoustic conditions set in place to be born again for the ears, it does not ask for the branded name of some hype known gear first....


An easy example of ignorance is the way people put costly gear in a non treated and non well controlled room and call the result Hi-FI because of the total cost of electronical engineering.... Any musician know that.... Me too....

I have always been fortunate to find that the hi-fi gear that most mimics real life sound is the equipment that I enjoy the most. I’ve never understood the desire for flat sound that so many seem to search for, other than it just gives you the foundation for adjusting the sound to emphasize what sounds best to you. Giving that the physiology of the ear, the resulting vibrations, and the brain’s interpretation of it is different for each person, the idea that there’s a single universal goal we should all strive for as audiophiles in order to be listening “correctly” ( whatever term you believe fits best) is frankly a little nuts. Every brand of recording and playback equipment has it’s own flavor of sound. When you’ve spent the cash to get equipment that you know does a great job producing clarity, detail, and completeness, then just pick out the flavor that pleases you the most and voila! Listening pleasure ! It’s sadly so much harder to compare components these days as there are so few hifi shops around anymore, and purchasing some pretty expensive pieces based purely on others’ recommendations is a real roll of the dice. Although the desire for improvement may be present, there should be balance. Some listeners describe what sounds to be almost an obsession with finding something that’s better than what they have, and really feel they’re missing something and thus, rob themselves of really enjoying what they DO have. Nothing wrong with seeking improvement, right up to the point where you spend more time feeling that something’s not right rather than experiencing the joy of hearing great music thru wonderful gear. Keep it balanced grasshopper, and the result is always good whether you’re seeking to improve or not!