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Smooth treble

What is in fact a "smooth and refined treble"? Is that synonymous with treble roll off? Psycho acoustically an extreme smooth and refined treble can present itself like if there is less high frequency extension paradoxically. This is what one actually hears in the concert hall! In the concert hall one hears less "treble" than in the home (with your super high end rig). How can one get this smooth and refined high frequencies without severe treble roll off?
In my experience the older and more mature an audiophile gets, the more he/she wants a very natural sounding (overly refined) treble (not the bright, brilliant and super transparent treble many people want when they are making the transition from "mid fi" to "high end" audio) . Do you agree with this?

Chris
dazzdax
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gregm
3,402 posts
 
the bright, brilliant and super transparent treble many people want when they are making the transition from "mid fi" to "high end" audio
Agreed. However, I would replace "super transparent" with "super prominent".

Smooth does, of course, mean there is no jagged & annoying response in the region of 4-9kHz, usually mistaken for "transparency"... as in, "wow, a veil lifted and my jaw fell through the floorboards". I've heard that said of a sibilant set up. Regards
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,094 posts
 
Smooth means not course or irritating during extended listens.
saki70
907 posts
 
"How can one get this smooth and refined high frequencies without severe treble roll off? "

For me it was a progression of things , of course the recording is the number one component .

I started by ditching metal tweeters in favor of soft dome or organic tweeters . As mentioned above ribbons will fall into this catagory as well .

I then ditched my SS CDP for a tube unit .

Then I ditched my SS amplification for tubed .

And finally finding a tubed int. amp with good top end extension .

It was a process of changes that taught me things along the way . This is not the only way but it is the way that works for me . And other things were accomplished along the way that increased my listening enjoyment .

While I believe that the smooth treble aspect can be accomplished with metal tweeters and SS components , it may come at a greater cost and may or may not give you the desired overall sound that pleases you .
For me it did not .

Good luck .
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
It is all to do with waterfall...driver resonance is what messes up treble. Soft domes treated with damping material on the fabric work well.

It is often a fight between on one hand stunning brochure quality frequency response plots versus a not so perfect treble rolled off above 12 Khz. If you let the frequency reponse plot dominate your design choice then you inevitably end up with a metal or very stiff type tweeter and that is how you get a waterfall with resonance.

Most people know as a rule of thumb that soft dome tweeters are smoother than metal ones...now you know why.
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