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

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.

mahgister

my sound too is now as natural as yours ...I can explain why and how...

What are your explanation ? You never gave one and then you claimed to be the only one with a natural sound in the world ... It is a bit too much claim....Synergy, modifications , and acoustic optimization can be done ... I did them with complete success ...it was not easy to figure it out... Most will not...

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JBL, other big companies, and individuals have invested much money and their life times to figure out the natural sound in 150 years of audio history. If you’ve got it, use it for something good.

I am selling my products to churches, concert halls, and event DJs now. Billions of people are suffering with bad sounds. I probably don’t have the time for the hi-end audio business in my life time. If I have a time after I am satisfied with PA speakers business (in 5 years?), I’ll be in recording equipment business. Making the natural sound mic and recording machine is same thing as making a natural sound audio and speaker. The perfect natural sound recording comes 1st, then the natural sound audio and speakers are next. Alex/Wavetouch

It seems the better my gear the more disappointing the recordings. 
 

The inherent problem with the HiFi journey is that it’s build on dissatisfaction. 

Right. If there is full satisfaction there will be no journey. I wouldn't call it a problem, though, it's the way it is.

@inna, @yesiam_a_pirate 

I look at it differently. I have a goal. I know exactly what I want to hear and make modifications to achieve that result. I have a great sounding system, but it is not quite at the goal yet. You could say that I was not satisfied with the current system, but that is not how I look at it. I identify problems to solve and am happy to do so. That is what this hobby is really about. If the were no problems this would not be any fun!

I would say that audio hobby is a journey beginning with the wished basic gear synergy ending at an acoustic specific destination... it has ended for me... Lessons learned and applied... Music is my hobby as decades ago it was but this time with no frustration at all about sound because i learn minimal basic acoustics and few other things ...

it is called the minimal acoustic threshold of satisfaction or M.A.T.S. when each acoustic factors defining timbre, spatial qualities and immersiveness are there in a MINIMAL synergy state, this M.A.T. S. make us able to create the irresistible desire to never end any album we listen to....M.A.T.S. is the end of a journey...Not perfection which is anyway a result of acoustic knowledge more than the result of an illimited wallet... ...

If it is not for such experience,we became like a dog calling for a solution to some problem and mistaking another problem for the next solution, which upgrading is very often ; or worst, not recognizing the problem at all then staying frustrated and calling that the normal state of THE journey...

My two cents... 😊

Music is the wave and the sound and the gear  are only the navigating  surfer plank... Learn how to Control your body on the plank and dont mistake the plank for the journey...