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I just bought a Steinway which sounds like a banjo.

I have a question: I’ve seen a lot of terms in audiophile jargon: laid back, top end, low end, harsh, soft, smooth, etc.
I don’t understand them. I only listen to recorded music, almost nothing synthesized. So the adjectives I know are: pitch, timbre, dynamics and spatiality. I cannot think of sound characteristics that are not inscribed within these four adjectives.
I believe that a sound reproduction device must first of all take care to satisfy these 4 characteristics.

When I read that a loudspeaker sounds harsh to me it means that the timbre is wrong because nobody would describe as harsh the reproduction of an instrument that has a harsh timbre. That would be a speaker that has a correct timbre. It can only be described as harsh the reproduction of an instrument that does not have a harsh timbre. The same goes for the other terms listed at the beginning. For spatiality it is even simpler because it is a geometric, spatial question. An ensable of which occupies 5 meters must sound like an ensambe that occupies 5 meters, not as one that occupies 2 meters nor as one that occupies 20 meters. Then the dynamics is linear so it is the simplest of all.

When Steinway puts a Steinway on the market it does so by taking care of a certain amount of objective characteristics, i would say 96-98% and 2-4% are probably left to the "character" of the instrument.

In the audiophile field, judging by the immense difference between one reproduction technology and another, it seems that the opposite meter is used, that is 4% of objectivity and 96% of character.
As if a Steinway sounded like a forgotten Pleyel in a basement, and a Pleyel sounded like a Boesendorfer. The whole is defended with sword drawn by the audiophile community as and cleared as subjective perceptions or eventually as an incompatibility between the elements in play (source, amplifier, speakers, cables) Hahah! Obviously, if all the products that follow the 4% objectivity meter and 96% "character", it takes a lot of luck to have a system in your hands that allows you to recognize a Pleyel from a Steinway.

When will sound reproduction become serious?
daros71

Showing 1 response by douglas_schroeder

douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
I will help you. What are you trying to accomplish with your system? 
List your system entirely. Then, describe in detail the problem with the sound. 

BTW, your perception of the speakers available in the industry I believe is impoverished. The performance spectrum of audio systems for the home is incredibly large. All the four characteristics you mention can be realized to a great or small degree relatively. One of the most important characteristics of an audio system you missed, resolution/definition. This directly impacts the others. It is quite possible that due to a difficult setup that does not please you, you have overlooked the relationship of a system's resolution in favor of these others. 

There is no way for anyone here to appreciate your predicament when they have no idea of your electronics. One glance could reveal a low end rig, in which case you may be expecting too much of a budget rig, or it may reveal an operational incompatibility which could be corrected, i.e. use of a lower powered amp with an inefficient speaker. 

If you wish to do more than simply rant, and perhaps rant out of ignorance of establishing fine audio systems, then provide more detailed information so the community can be of assistance.  :) 
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