Sdcampbell pretty much nailed it...you could have the most liquid top end and the tightest, deep bass known to man...but if the midrange isnt seamless...lotta work for nothing...which is why I assume that in 2-ways for example...the trend towards higher x-overs...3khz and up...is becoming more common...would also agree...the hi end has gravitated towards a more mellow, laid back midrange presentation...which isnt adherently bad...basically what Vandersteen has pioneered since the 70s...albeit without the clever boxless design, phase integrity, and value the Vandies represent(maybe this insnt a good comparison!)...at any rate...the "spatial" midrange production all too common tends to be generated from the speakers and less from the recording itself...again...not a bad thing...but coupled with an exaggerated "hot" treble...can sound artifical over time...just an observation...also...Scott...thanks to your informative responses to my posts and many others....always enjoy your insight...
What's the most important speaker attribute...and
why?
That ineffable "musicality" is IT for me. The ability to reproduce human voices that sound, well, palpably human and distinct (not all raspy, if male, or sibilant, if female).
Instruments sound like they do "live."
In a nutshell, you don't gush to your friends, "Hey,I keep hearing new things all the time," but rather, " Billie sounded soooo beautiful," or, " the counter tenor blending with the bass---magical!"
If it doesn't sound beautiful, if the instruments and voices aren't naturally seductive---you're not listening to music anymore, no matter how impressive the stage width, depth, or heighth, or how dynamic and uncompressed it is. (My system is currently in large scale flux, from front-end to speakers; I just went to SF EAIIs [from Piega C8LTDs], Pass Labs electrs, Audio Note cdp, but I'm swapping out passive preamps this week [Preeminence & con-john pfr] seeing if they make significant improvements).
That ineffable "musicality" is IT for me. The ability to reproduce human voices that sound, well, palpably human and distinct (not all raspy, if male, or sibilant, if female).
Instruments sound like they do "live."
In a nutshell, you don't gush to your friends, "Hey,I keep hearing new things all the time," but rather, " Billie sounded soooo beautiful," or, " the counter tenor blending with the bass---magical!"
If it doesn't sound beautiful, if the instruments and voices aren't naturally seductive---you're not listening to music anymore, no matter how impressive the stage width, depth, or heighth, or how dynamic and uncompressed it is. (My system is currently in large scale flux, from front-end to speakers; I just went to SF EAIIs [from Piega C8LTDs], Pass Labs electrs, Audio Note cdp, but I'm swapping out passive preamps this week [Preeminence & con-john pfr] seeing if they make significant improvements).