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Silky and soft highs: product of coloration?

Hi folks this is a bit controversial topic. I know some amplifiers (and some very expensive ones too!) have a very silky and soft presentation of the (upper) treble. I'm wondering if this silky presentation can be considered as a hallmark of quality for amplifiers or rather a sort of coloration that makes the upper treble soft and "pretty". In my opinion I can divide amplifiers in two groups: one group (the largest) with "ordinary" treble response (not very pretty) and the other group that consists of only a handful of amplifiers (both solid state and tube) with a refined and silky treble. The contenders within this last group are alas too expensive for mere mortals. This brings me to another question: is such a refined and silky treble only to be had with megabuck amplifiers?
I consider the Anne-Sophie Mutter recording "Carmen Fantasie" as the ultimate test recording for treble sweetness. If the amplifier sounds just "ordinary" with this recording (especially where the violin plays in the upper register) then the amplifier is not "refined" enough.

Chris
dazzdax
nilthepill
842 posts
 
Just last week end we were at Catalina Island for a Spring break with my daughters and wife. On Monday Lakewood, Colorado High School band played some Jazz, Classical and wind ensemble music for nearly two hours. I ditched ( actually sent them on a boat ride) my family and sat about 10-12 ft away the whole time. First violins were literally in front of me when some score called for 5 of them, at a time, to get up and kinda boogie, classical style - aggressive style playing and sound was thinnish, airy, stringy- nothing silky about it.
But at times during slow movements certain playing technique did call for gentle strokes that did produce some silkishly thin sounds.

So I think silky sound do exist on certain play technique- May be someone who plays the instrument can chime in here.

BTW, this was a good refresher course for my ears to get equalized with unamplified live acoustic music.
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
I'm not impressed with most violin recordings...to far away sounding, or...to strident, in mass. I do have some good solo violin recordings.

I'll guess, that it must be very hard to capture that instrument correctly on a recording.

Silky is fine, when intended, "soft highs" is not (unless the intent was to place you at 50ft away).

Dave
dazzdax OP
599 posts
 
Dave, with "soft" I don't mean low level audibility but "not scratchy or edgy". Silky is about grainless and smooth sound.
Nil, I know violins can sound aggressive in real life, but there is always this "energy" and bloom even with aggressive playing. Not thin, scratchy or threadbare "noise".

Chris
dgarretson
2,606 posts
 
Live performances in acoustically uncontrolled settings rarely provides a good reference point for comparison to well-miked studio recordings. High School bands performing in echoing gyms & mall atriums can sound excruciating-- even close up-- apart from the bad playing... Many listening positions in even good concert halls receive lots of reflected sound.
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
I consider the Anne-Sophie Mutter recording "Carmen Fantasie" as the ultimate test recording for treble sweetness.

That is an excellent recording - although I am not a fan of DG.

I'm wondering if this silky presentation can be considered as a hallmark of quality for amplifiers or rather a sort of coloration that makes the upper treble soft and "pretty"

Your description makes me think of Luxman SS amps of the 80's that did this kind of thing - I have always steered clear of amps that add coloration...I had one for a while (forget which model but it was high end SS) and it became irritating as you could hear the same coloration on everything - nice for light polite piano bar trio jazz with brushes but it spoiled other genres for me...

I find Mobile Fidelity Sound labs recordings often had this kind of "polish" in the highs on their CD recordings - I found it irritating too - I am not sure how they achieved the coloration...but I stopped buying after I noticed the same issue on albums from different artists.

IMHO, rather than focus on one recording - try a variety of recordings to see if the amp is making an honest uncolored presentation....this may mean that some recordings are too edgy or strident but others will bloom...all depending on what they did in the microphones/mix/mastering process.
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