what is good sound ?

Marco: Accuracy isn't subjective. Personal preference, obviously, is subjective, but many of us don't care what someone else thinks "sounds good." That person may like exaggerated bass or treble, which is not at all true to the source. Or that person may simply not be qualified to judge a system because he or she has no idea what an unamplified instrument sounds like. As John Dunlavy noted, much of this actually can be measured. Good -- meaning accurate -- sound really isn't such a big mystery.

9rw,

I noted your post to Marco - I can't help but wonder how you judge a system to be 'accurate'. You say it "really" isn't such a big mystery".

Why don't you explain to those of use who want accuracy, but have a hard time being sure we have achieved it, exactly how you know when your system is in fact accurate and not just a sound you personally prefer.

Thanks

Newbee: Compare it to a reference: live unamplified vocals or instruments. In addition to possessing the obviously necessary hearing acuity, a person has to have reference points. He or she has to know how instruments really sound. Then find albums or CDs that have minimal processing and see how it compares. Nothing I've heard matches the live event, but the best systems can recreate a decent illusion. Sometimes it takes an adjustment period to appreciate a more accurate system.

9rw, Gee, that sounds very simple. But, unless I was actually in the recording studio during the performance how will I ever know what the performance actually sounded like before it hit the mikes?

When referring to 'he or she knows how live instruments really sound' do you mean from within 2 feet, 20 feet, or 100 feet, seated or standing, in what kind of venue?

In one's own room it would seem that the distance between you and a vocalist, for example, would not be nearly the same as in a live performance. Even in a small club you're going to be 20 to 30 feet away from a vocalist and to make the judgment more difficult everyone has a mike in their mouth now to boot. But in your home you're going to be seated, maybe 10 feet away.

In fact most every small scale recording is multi miked so the recording engineer can give equal voice to each instrument in the mix, and or spot light one instrument, or vocalist, so I'm unsure where to even find the ideal recordings to begin with.

If the recording were made at 30 feet of an unamplified vocalist or instrument, and the recording was ideal, then over a 2 channel system I would imagine that you would have a very tiny voice coming from exactly between your speakers and it would be indistinct, recessed, and unlike anything that you would hear if you were just standing 10 feet away (assuming thats a typical distance in a well set up system in a medium sized room.It certainly wouldn't sound 'live'.

FWIW, the problem I have with your statement is that it's not simple to guage accuracy by using live music as a guide. IMHO, all that does is inintentionally create a lot of insecurity in audiophiles who rely on others opinions and results in their chasing gear which they think will bring them closer to the perfect sound. As you have admitted one can't recreate live music electronically in the home, one can't come close, and if one thinks he can he's set out on a very expensive and frustrating trip to no where. Thats why I'm satisfied to just accept the goal of reproducing accurately what I think is on the recording. That is a much more obtainable goal I think.

All IMHO, of course.