Musicality vs Transparency & Detail


I would like to get the opinions of forum members on this topic. As I work to develop my audio system I wonder if the goal of extreme detail retrieval will sacrifice musicality. How have you been able to achieve excellent detail retrieval without getting an etched fatigue inducing sound. As an example when I have read about Shindo equipment I have always come away feeling that it was not noted for detail retrieval but was high on the list of emotionally satisfying.
Jean Nantais who frequently post here seems to feel that ultimate desire for detail has sacrificed musicality. On the other hand Arthur Salvatore of high-endaudio feels that the ultimate goal is the retrieval of low level detail as his first priority.

Can one go to far in the quest for ultimate transparency and low level detail retrieval? Have you ever retreated in system development to equipment or cables with less detail because of listening fatigue? Look forward to your comments.
montepilot

Showing 1 response by rauliruegas

Dear Montepilot: +++++ " I wonder if the goal of extreme detail retrieval will sacrifice musicality. How have you been able to achieve excellent detail retrieval without getting an etched fatigue inducing sound.... " +++++

IMHO, I think that the whole " thing " is a lot more complex that "" extreme detail retriaeval vs musicality "".

Both subjects can live together no question about, all depend of audio items design and synergy between those audio items in an audio system.

We can't do nothing about the recording process: distortions/noises/inaccuracies already generated at the recording process: we are hope ( doing the best: perfect ) to mantain in that way but because there is nothing perfect what we really have is that through an audio system we increase those distortions/noises/inaccuracies.
What can we do?, well to look for audio items that are well designed and that have the lower distortions/noises/inaccuracies: truer to the recording!!!!

But all these is more easy to say it that to do it because we need the know-how about in different areas: what to look about distortion, noise or accuracy? where to look about? how to be sure about? how much experience we have with live music? how good is our music ( ears ) perception? which are our music reproduction priorities? how good our audio system achieve those music reproduction priorities?, which is our audio system develop budget? how much time we have for the research about? where to buy those audio items? in whom we can trust about? etc, etc, etc

Very complex and a very hard life time work!!!!

We could have almost all if we have almost all know-how about.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.