The Absolute Sound vs Pleasing Sound

**** Wasn’t that test about how audience hears it and not how the player feels while playing it? ****

It was both; the article made that clear. Perhaps I was not clear in what I wrote; although I feel I am just repeating myself:

When a player first picks up an instrument (new or old), the feeling created is a major contributor to the resulting sound. If the instrument feels free and non-resistant, easier to play, the resulting sound could very well be a more appealing sound to some listeners as the player feels and sounds more at ease and can, in fact, coax a pleasant tone out of the instrument. However, this is often also a limitation. If the instrument is more resistant and offers the player more “fight”, as is the case with many antique instruments, the ultimately superior sound of the instrument will not manifest itself until the player has had a considerable amount of time with the instrument; much more than is the case in a typical blind test. This is a good thing and a quality sought out by many players.

This concept may be difficult to grasp for a non instrumentalist, but it is reality and is the reason that those old instruments are held in such high esteem. There is more potential in store.

**** What’s sad is how some people either refuse or can’t seem to grasp how biases influence human behavior. ****

It is true that biases exist, but this does not negate what I described. What is even sadder, IMO, is to be locked in a mindset that says that reactions are the result of bias and to refuse to be open minded about the possibility that it is not bias at all that is at play. Seems to me, that the person who is enlightened enough to understand bias should also be the one most open to the possibility that it is NOT always bias that is at play.

There has been a trend in the world of instrument making (all instruments, not just strings) to produce instruments that are brilliant, faster and more incisive sounding; not surprising, considering the similarly changing aesthetic sensibilities of our modern society. Many of the vintage instruments are held in high esteem and sought out by great players for their complexity and richness of tone, and other subtle and elusive qualities. They offer greater potential to a great player.

Take the test 😊.  Even on an iPad the differences can clearly be heard:

https://www.thestrad.com/video/put-your-ears-to-the-test-can-you-pick-the-stradivarius-violin/4446.a...

frogman

... What is even sadder, IMO, is to be locked in a mindset that says that reactions are the result of bias and to refuse to be open minded about the possibility that it is not bias at all that is at play. Seems to me, that the person who is enlightened enough to understand bias should also be the one most open to the possibility that it is NOT always bias that is at play...

That's one of the ironies about the measurementalists here. They'll even often refuse to listen to test whether their theories are valid - they have that much faith in their belief system.

The other irony: The measurementalists frequently apply ill logic to their claims, so it makes meaningful conversation with them virtually impossible. Many of these measurementalists are here solely to argue, so these apparent inconsistencies suit them just fine.

As I posted the violin link I ought to explain why I thought it was useful - I did only to contribute to the debate whether a concept of “absolute” was conceivable at all. Those newer and older violins sounded more or less pleasing to the listeners - and the age or presumed quality or “signature” sound of the violin seemed to have little influence over that pleasure. The comment I picked out - that knowing it is a Strad is part of the pleasure - was meant to reinforce that. 

I had the enormous pleasure of sitting a couple of metres from Nigel Kennedy in a small gathering where he played for 3 hours in support of our charity. He played his Guarneri “Lafont” and I know I will never hear anything more pleasing. I’m sure if he had played a £1000 violin it would have sounded magnificent. But knowing something of the history of the instrument actually in front of us undeniably added to the pleasure. What a night that was.