Tube CDP/DAC sound: too "refined"?

You are 100 % right about the "just enjoy the music, don't worry about some restrictions because they are not worth to worry about" thing. But you have also to admit that when an audio component introduces an additive coloration this could be more annoying than an subtractive one. To my overly smooth presentation is a form of additive coloration (at least it is an artificial rendering of the real life situation).

Chris

Seems we are trying to find a balance between too full and too thin. Too full and the sound looses transient information and some meaningful musical detail. This can cause music to sound a little boring and the listener looses interest - the mind wanders. Too thin and the leading edge of transients become too prominent. That causes listening fatigue and makes the listener want to turn the music off. Live music in good listening spaces gets that balance dead-on and right in the middle of the note. Stereo systems seem to always be either somewhat in front or underneath the note.

When music sounds too "smooth" I think we are missing meaningful transients and detail. However, go to far to the other side (overly prominent transients) and we gets too much etch and non-musical detail.

We are all looking for that perfect balance and everyone has a different point in that balance that sounds right to them. I find the traditional "French" sound to be too lean but also find the traditional "British" sound to be too full. Hmmm...

By the way, I can't remember how this dilemma related to the old "East coast" "West coast" sound of the 60s and 70s - Advent vs. JBL. I think the East coats was smooth and the West coast was etched...I think.

Well with my experience, most TUbe Preamps, or DIGITAL Tube based components as well have actually had more detail, and sometimes even more forward and strong so to speak.. SAme with many phono stages, a lot of the time the tubes seem to compress less, or have even more outright clarity. There are no doubt some tubes that are "Soft" sounding, sometimes its the tubes themselves, sometimes the Design of the circuit they are in.

Tom, I must say that I am in complete aggreement with you and it is one of the reasons you mention, that I don't like the run of the mill Brits speakers. Most of them I found dull and even the very expensive modern Meridians are too "rich" or "fat" for my liking. One exception to the rule though are Walker's offerings, the old QUAD ELSs and the QUAD 63s. Sometimes and with the right music feeding them, they seem uncannily "right".

Detlof...Yes, I also find the classic British sound lacking in musical dynamics to the point that I become bored or keep turning the volume up. I've owned Spendors and Harbeths and found this to be the situation. It's great to have excellent midrange but, in my opinion, a lot of speakers get that right nowadays. I hate to ruffle feathers but getting the midrange right no longer seems to be a problem.

On the other hand, I don't like the classic French (and German) sound which is too "front edge transient" for my tastes. Music becomes fatiguing quickly. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra sounds just right in Orchestra Hall here. My current system gets closer to that than anything I've had before.