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Imaging and Detail.

I am curious as to what everyone feels is the best sound they can achieve from there cd players.
Do you prefer a highly detailed sound with exceptional imaging or do you prefere a more warm sound( some would call it muddled) that subdues the detail and give a more overall smooth listening experence but still retains most of the imaging?

I listen to alot of 70's rock.Led Zepplin, AC-DC,Pink Floyd,Allman Brothers,ect....
This music just does not sound right to me on a very detailed system.The music just does not flow for me with all the detail.Why does everyone put such emphises on all this detail?

With smooth jazz it is superb but with the stlye of music I prefere it is crap.
shaunp
jaxwired
232 posts
 
Shauup, IMO it's not all the detail, it's that some systems have tipped up treble that passes for detail. Also, many high end systems have completely eliminated bass since it's problematic and expensive to reproduce well. 70s rock without adequate bass is boring. Hyper treble isn't fun to listen to even with good recordings.

BTW, I don't know how you can stand to listen to that old rock. I agree that much of that music was brilliant and unsurpassed by future rock artists, but it's been so overplayed that I can't listen to it at all anymore. The internet has made it possible to find lots of new modern recordings that are extremely good and I'm not talking about smooth jazz. Rock, pop, folk and alt country that is extremely good. I highly recommend searching out new music. It's well worth it.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,605 posts
 
Detail and warmth are not mutually exclusive. Its not a contest. I like systems with both best. In fact I like systems that do it all best, but others can still be listenable.
uru975
684 posts
 
What about clarity, air, space? Where do these reside for you. As long as the flow is not broken up being able to hear it all is what drives me.
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,515 posts
 
I was in the same boat as you. All my rock recordings from the 70's and 80's sounded like crap. I was using Vandersteen speakers, switched to DeVore speakers with a sub and still wasn't satisified and had sesigned myself to the idea of not playing any more rock on my system. Blues, jazz and classical all sounded wonderful. That is....until the day I took delivery of a pair of Odyssey Kismet Reference loudspeakers off of Audiogon for 1250.00.

I just now finished my listening session which included "The Yes Album", "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd, "Led Zeppelin 4", Santana "Abraxas", "Mott" by Mott The Hoople, "This Was" by Jethro Tull and "Demons and wizards" by Uruah Heep. Up until 2 months ago (when I aquired the speakers), all of this music was totally unlistenable on my system. Today, I couldn't get enough of it, the volume was loud and the sound was so clear and right sounding.

Now, if I only had some of that stuff I smoked back in the 70's....................

Bob
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