Straight wire with gain????


I should start this with a big, fat IMFO. Here goes. After reading tons of great thinking in this forum, it seems that we all want a sound as close to a live perfomance as possible. But ... First, live performances vary dramatically based on the venue. In fact, different types of music, like classical, have different kinds of concert halls build for them to provide the "right" acoustic environment. Second, from what I've read, different volume levels exhibit different perceived frequency responses, all else equal. Given those two points, how can a single system really provide the "live experience" at different volume levels for different kinds of music? Add to that the inherent problems with room acoustics. Help! Is a "straight wire with gain" analogy the correct way of thinking about audiophile design? I honestly hesitate to suggest this, but don't we need the ability to switch among "multiple wires with gain"? Can we ever be happy if we can't? In turn, does that suggest the need for acoustic adjustments (e.g., Tact, SigTech) as the ideal rather than the aberration? (By the way, I don't own any of these nor do I work in the industry). What am I missing? I'm honestly confused. Thanks.
ozfly

Showing 2 responses by ozfly

Sean, I like your Yin / Yang approach. Doug, you're absolutely correct in suggesting that no one system can do the trick. I think that's at the heart of the question. The "straight wire with gain" approach forces us to reach the single most pleasing compromise (a bit different for everyone). Would the industry gain anything by allowing the listener more real-time flexibility in "engineering" the sound? Are things heading in that direction now? Obviously, tone controls are a bad thing. But, is there something else ... or could there be?