How Revealing Should a System Be?


I've heard tales of audiophiles reach a point of dimininshing returns as they upgrade their systems. Meaning, the more revealing the system gets, the more discriminating their system will be of the recordings that are played back on it. Some of you have said that recordings that you once really liked were now unlistenable because your system revealed all of the flaws in the recording. Doesn't that limit some audiophiles to what recordings they can actually listen to? If so, we have gotten away from the thing that brought us to this hobby in the first place.........THE MUSIC! It seems the equipment should never be more important than the music.
128x128mitch4t

Showing 1 response by kurt_tank

Interesting thought. I do agree that the music is the point of all this audio equipment.
Perhaps one solution would be to have either more than one source or more than one system.
Or even searching out better source material, (which I will admit that I do, to some extent anyway).

Next question for you then:

If, as the system gets better, and therefore, more revealing, some of the more poorly recorded recordings do indeed sound worse. However, what if on the other hand, some of the better recorded recordings sound utterly fantastic because the system is now so revealing?

What then?

My system is very revealing on both CD and vinyl. I can now hear some flaws in some of my favorite recordings, that I never heard before my current level of upgrading. I accept that as much as I accept that some of my vinyl has small pop and ticks. I merely ignore it, and sit back and enjoy the music.

I think that what you are mentioning is a problem for some people. However, (I believe), it is only those unfortunate few who can no longer turn off the "critical" listening, and for whom enjoying the music is becoming harder and harder. I also believe that it is these people who are on the never ending cycle of audio upgrading merely for the pursuit of audio nirvana. (I hope I never get to that point!)

My two cents worth anyway.