Tbg...You raise an interesting point about well designed halls. Partly because of differences in terms of preferred kinds of sounds among listeners, the issue of a good hall design may be more complex than typically assumed. Just to cite an example or two: The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Musikverein in Vienna are considered by many to be at or near the top of the finest sounding concert halls in the world. Both are prized for their full, warm, ambient sonics. One of the salient points I tried to make in my previous comments was that quite a few audiophiles prefer a kind of sound in their home that would be pretty different from that heard in these two locales. I have no quibble with their preference for and enjoyment of that sort of sound. What I sometimes find troubling however is when upon hearing a likeness of the warmer, more rounded and softer edged kind of sound imparted by audio equipment different from their own, a fair number label it inaccurate. My question to them would be, "Inaccurate in what sense?" Is the sound emanating from those concert halls a violation of reality? Of course, colorations of different kinds are found virtually everywhere---in concert halls, sound component shops, one's home, stereo equipment and open air spaces. If one retorts with the statement, "I prefer a neutral sound", what does that mean? If it refers to an undoctored sound, then one cannot really get that with reproduced music. How can they with all the capacitors, resistors, switches, wires, drivers, microphones, etc.as well as all the twiddling of controls done by sound engineers at the recording site ? Yes, we pay our money and make our choices from among different sound illusions in the comfort of our homes. But when some of those illusions more closely resemble the actual colorations one hears at the original performance site(e.g., softer, warmer), why use the term, inaccurate? Indeed, the assertion of neutrality might more correctly apply in these cases where one's equipment is more accurately conveying those actual colorations from where they originate. And colorations they are, but why mischaracterize them as inaccurate? Otherwise,yes, some simply prefer a facsimile of the kind of sound one gets from being "inside" the performing ensemble, while others are drawn to 15th or 30th row sound or balcony sound...Lastly,in response to your comment about gold sounding smeared and unrealistic, I might just reiterate your allusion to making categoric statements.
