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Real or Surreal. Do you throw accuracy out the window for "better" sound?

I visited a friend recently who has an estimated $150,000 system. At first listen it sounded wonderful, airy, hyper detailed, with an excellent well delineated image, an audiophile's dream. Then we put on a jazz quartet album I am extremely familiar with, an excellent recording from the analog days. There was something wrong. On closing my eyes it stood out immediately. The cymbals were way out in front of everything. The drummer would have needed at least 10 foot arms to get to them. I had him put on a female vocalist I know and sure enough there was sibilance with her voice, same with violins. These are all signs that the systems frequency response is sloped upwards as the frequency rises resulting in more air and detail.  This is a system that sounds right at low volumes except my friend listens with gusto. This is like someone who watches TV with the color controls all the way up. 

I have always tried to recreate the live performance. Admittedly, this might not result in the most attractive sound. Most systems are seriously compromised in terms of bass power and output. Maybe this is a way of compensating. 

There is no right or wrong. This is purely a matter of preference accuracy be damn.  What would you rather, real or surreal?

128x128mijostyn
malatu
58 posts
 

I like both.  My digital is very real.  My analog is surreal. 

audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,875 posts
 

Being in Audio 40+ years and owning a audio store synergy is very important

if using a turntable  changing to a different balance cartridge, and or audio cables 

would change that sometimes if using silver cabling in some brands can be too extreme.

audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,875 posts
 

Many times too a. Different mastering of a recording can be edited with more upper extension ,and ruin the balance.

mihorn
467 posts
 
mahgister

And i need an explanation about YOUR speakers being the only possible one accurate in the world, in any room for any inner ears structure and any HRTF sorry , Why and How is it possible?

My audio system sounds the closest to the original music. That makes my system the most accurate sound system.

All your speakers behave like a left speaker in below. Only my speaker sounds like a right one. Alex/Wavetouch

Killing me softly - Natural vs. Un-natural sound, PA speaker comparison.

zazouswing
138 posts
 

Unfortunately, I think it is song dependent. Lean one way and you find some tracks that make you long for more detail. Lean the other way and your looking for more bloom. Maybe some have more normalized feeding habits than me, but any system that works for Sydney Bechet is going to struggle with Pavement. 

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