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What is “warmth” and how do you get it?

Many audiophiles set out to assemble a system that sounds “warm.” I have heard several systems that could be described that way. Some of them sounded wonderful. Others, less so. That got me wondering: What is this thing called “warmth”?

It seems to me that the term “warm” can refer to a surprising number of different system characteristics. Here are a few:

1. Harmonic content, esp. added low order harmonics
2. Frequency response, esp. elevated lower midrange/upper bass
3. Transient response, esp. underdamped (high Q) drivers for midrange or LF
4. Cabinet resonance, esp. some materials and shapes
5. Room resonance, esp. some materials and dimensions

IME, any of these characteristics (and others I haven’t included) can result in a system that might be described as “warm.”

Personally, I have not set out to assemble a system that sounds warm, but I can see the appeal in it. As my system changes over time, I sometimes consider experimenting more with various kinds of “warmth.” With that in mind…

Do you think some kinds of warmth are better than others?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Bryon
bryoncunningham

Showing 5 responses by tmsorosk

tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
Well said Mr. T...Many like the warm coloration of tubes , but it was one of the reasons I got ride of my tubes .
I must say though , I have friends with excellent all tube setups , and enjoy listening to them very much
Regards Tim
tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
And it would depend who and what is playing for me to no wear I would want to sit in the hall .
tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
Hello Johnsonwu... Most of the venue's we attend are JAZZ , not amplified . There has been times when we were so close that the horns would drive me back after a few songs , ya standing in the back . I'm not sure how loud the horn's were at that distance , I'dd guess over 100db , my ears rang for hours after . So now when I hear that we are going to a concert , I find out the particular's before picking out seat ticket's .
The liquid coherent sound that live music portrays I would not refer to as warm .
Whether it's tube or solid state the interpolation of warmth that equipment designers add to give a component realism can hardly be compared to what we hear live . Happy listening , live or recorded . Tim
tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
Consensus in audio ???
tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
Your post should have read , " Warmth why would you want it ". Warmth is an added artifact of electronically produced music . A properly tuned acoustical instrument should not have the added warmth that you here on many systems . Having tuned musical instruments in the past , one thing we listened for was any unnatural warmth , if you could hear warmth something was wrong . Warmth was never considered natural or desirable . It would altar pace, pitch, flow and timing and make an instrument sound less neutral , most easily noticeable on sting instruments . Have A musical day
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