1. Home
  2. amps-preamps
  3. 196294-301

Striking a balance between musicality and resolution

As my years and experience in this hobby continue to grow I notice a divergence between those seeking extreme resolution and detail from their music reproduction systems and those in search of maximum musicality.

In theory, high-end audio systems should provide more than garden variety stereo systems. In my view that means more detail and information should be heard from a high-end music reproduction system than one hears from ordinary HiFi stereo systems set ups. BUT is there such thing as too much resolution and detail in a stereo system’s sound presentation?

Some people feel that a less detailed presentation that is easier for your brain to process has better flow and provides more enjoyable listening.

So there is the dichotomy. Should one pay more to hear less? Can a frequency response performance that is curtailed at both frequency extremes be desired and praised?

Those that seek a “more musical” presentation usually point to their belief that that is how they hear live un-amplified acoustic music in the real world. In nature, high frequencies attenuate and decay with distance from the source and sound waves get absorbed, diffracted, reflected, and diffused by the environmental factors and landscapes; so they are not wrong in stating that in the real world the sound of music is less detailed and extended. The issue is that when we listen to our music reproduction systems at home we are not listening to live un-amplified music in a concert venue, but rather professionally produced audio recordings typically recorded with close-microphones techniques.

So the question is, do we want our systems to reproduce the sound on the commercial audio recordings accurately or does one want hear the sound the way one thinks that it should sound?

Lucky for me, I have enough systems at home that I have been able to design, set up, and tune them for different targeted resultant sound, sound presentation, and sound qualities. For instance, my OKTAN6 ultimate horn system is a dissecting microscope, my Pinnacle horn system aims at extreme musicality, and my WAAR reference system is a chameleon, which can be adjusted to sound exactly how you want it to sound in real-time.

My “test-bed” system takes on the sound character and sound qualities of the components in use and it is excellent for evaluating what new components have to offer or bring to the table in terms of sound qualities. But with the Acapella TW-1S ION plasma super-tweeters extending the high frequencies, the TBI Emperor subwoofers extending the low frequencies, and the highly detailed & nuanced Digital Audio Denmark AX24 DSD dac streaming HQPLAYER as the source, the “Test Bed” system is a highly resolving system.

As with everything else in life, is there a happy medium or compromise that gives you the best of those worlds? I believe that there is and that great music reproduction systems can be tuned to strike a balance between musicality and resolution. If one listens to the evolution of my OKTAN6 ultimate horn system for instance you can hear that the fine tuning is driving the sound in that direction.

So during last night’s listening session I adjusted the sound of my “Test Bed” system to a more musical sound presentation. The “Test Bed” system is always in flux so it allows me to experiment, explore, tweak, tune, and have fun with it.

Here is an audio recording from last night’s listening session that captures the revised sound presentation and conveys the sound qualities that exemplify a more organic sound versus a more delineated & resolved sound presentation:
 

The Way It Goes

 

carlos269
audio-b-dog's avatar
audio-b-dog
806 posts
 

I have been attending live music concerts for more years than I care to count. The first one my parents took me to, Harry Belefonte at the Greek Theater. I have gone to small clubs, large venues like the Hollywood bowl, and larger venues that are unamped, like Disney Hall. 

Large venues that are amped like the Hollywoo Bowl have a different sound than the unamped L.A. Phil at Disney Hall. Whether music is coming through speakers or through the natural air, in my experience, one thing they all share is that I am listening to a mix of music. In other words, it is often difficult to know which instrument the music is coming from, unless of course there is a solo instrument.

I will concentrate on the L.A. Phil to make my point. I sit above the orchestra on seats that are up maybe thirty feet. I can see the orchestra clearly and which musician is playing their instrument. Yet most of the time I cannot tell where music is coming from. If a horn is playing I scan the horn section, looking for the musician who is being highlighted. As I said, music is a mix. If suddenly each instrument were pinpointed in space, it would be a very strange experience.

When I listen to live jazz, there are fewer instruments and I know that I am listening to the bass or piano. But if I closed my eyes and didn't know where the instruments were, I would hear a mix of instruments and would not be able to point to where each instrument is located in space. So, I find overly analytical systems that pinpoint instruments in space to be an artifact of a stereo system. Its sound does not at all reflect the live music I have listened to.

What live music shares is first a wide and deep sounstage. Pretty much a wall-to-wall soundstage. My listening room limits any systems ability to stretch out the way the L.A. Phil does in huge Disney hall. But I can develop what sounds like a big and deep soundstage if let my imagination run free.

The second thing live music offers is that the instruments sound the way they should. If you know the sound of a French horn, a good audio system will project the natural sound of a French horn. And, of course, pianos which are so difficult to reproduce will have the full sound (vibrating wood and all) in a good system.

I won't list all the attributes of live music, but I think you get the point. So, although I don't have the resources of Carlos, over the years I have been able to buy a mix of new and used equipment and put together the best system I can afford, and with which I find the music authentic and pleasing. 

I am about to trade-in my ARC PH-7 phono preamp. I love the soundstage it throws and its sheer "musicality." That will be the last of my tube gear. But all of my solid state gear has a softer tube sound that throws a wide and deep soundstage. 

So, I'm not an analytical system guy. I love tubes, but I'm tired of messing with them. So, I have chosen solid state that sounds like tubes, and throws a fantastic soundstage and has a natural (to my ears) tube sound. 

toddalin's avatar
toddalin
660 posts
 

There are two schools of thought; those that want to be transported to the venue, whether it be a live performance or in the recording studio...,

and those who want to transport the venue to their listening room.

I am of the latter, and this is largely dictated by the room which is close to 5,000 cu ft.  And, though symmetrical, with the exception of the two openings to one corner, the shape does not lend itself to optimal acoustics.  Some have said that they have never been able to tame such a room.

"If you can’t beat them, join them."

ghdprentice's avatar
ghdprentice
9,462 posts
 

@audio-b-dog

Agreed on the attributes of live music. 

So what is the solid state gear you are going to?

carlos269's avatar
carlos269 OP
467 posts
 

@rauliruegas My OKTAN6 ultimate horn system is a six-way system where each driver and horn is well within their specified design parameters for the range of the frequency spectrum assigned to each of them. The super-tweeters are good to 30KHz.

carlos269's avatar
carlos269 OP
467 posts
 

@audio-b-dog @dsnyder0cnn  @atmasphere One thing that is common knowledge is that mastering engineers master the commercial audio recordings for mass consumption, so that the recordings sound good over the airways in cars, on ear-buds, on headphones, and of course over loudspeakers. The mastering for mass consumption leads to compromises and trade-offs. When someone such as myself, and other users of HQPLAYER for example, reprocess the commercial releases, we are doing so with our personal preferences, the playback system and method, and acoustical environment space in consideration. The commercial releases are generic for the masses, while the adjusted source material is bespoke for individual use.

More to discover