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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
foggyus91's avatar
foggyus91
612 posts
 

I found the perfect blend with my current system using a Canor Audio AI 2.10 . Combined with my analog and digital front ends I have found the perfect system for my tastes. 

Canor AI 2.10 is a hybrid integrated amplifier that combines a tube preamplifier with a Class D power amplifier to deliver 150W per channel into 4 ohms. It features a hybrid linear and switching power supply, a tube preamplifier with a relay attenuator, XLR inputs for a symmetrical signal path, and is built with the company’s premium CMT™ technology. 

  • Hybrid design: It combines a tube preamplifier with a Class D power amplifier for a sound that is both warm and efficient.
  • Power output: Delivers
     
    150 watts at 4 ohms.
  • Power supply: Uses a hybrid power supply that includes both a filtered linear power supply for the Class D stage and a switching power supply.
  • Preamplifier: Features a tube preamplifier with a precise relay attenuator and is fitted with two selected 6922 tubes.
  • Symmetrical signal path: Includes XLR inputs that allow for a strictly symmetrical signal path up to the power amplifier.
  • Construction: Uses premium CMT™ technology on its printed circuit boards.
  • Transformer: Equipped with an oversized toroid input transformer to help minimize noise. 

 

rauliruegas
13,384 posts
 

Dear @jrareform  : " A good system should be highly resolute while providing a lot of "musicality" at the same time.  Yes there is a bit of a tradeoff with gear but super solid gear should be able to convey both the details and the musicality of the signal. "

 

No doubt about.

 

" As someone who has toured the big boy studios and heard their systems, carefully matching components to your room/speakers and for your preferences, can yield results better than many studios if done right. "

This is only the second time in my audio life that I read these statement and coming for a true expert.

 

" Just a little insight into how engineers actually come about the final sound you hear.  Most of the time it has been mixed and tested on multiple systems with massively varying responses in order to test the content on average joe playback systems ".

 

Appreciated your contribution in this thread. 

 

Btw, what Carlos refuse to accept is that his deep/high signal manipulation adds a lot ( does not matters if is in the digital domain ) of colorations/distortions/noise according with what he likes not what's in the recording but only his imagination. ASlways exist trade-offs and each one of us choose our trade-offs.

 

R.

 

 

rauliruegas
13,384 posts
 

@carlos269   "  that instead of doing what every audiophile attempts to do through component selections, room acoustic treatments, power conditioning, interconnection cables selection, grounding, shielding, mechanical coupling, mechanical isolation, and so on I would improve the sound of my systems by improving the sound quality of the source material at home. "

 

So, you did not nothing of what we normally do. You say " improve the sound " and you are wrong because what is in the recording you can’t improve, your manipulations only can degrades the quality recording sound of course that that is what you like but you are wrong if think you are improving over what other gentlemans/audiophiles  have.

 

Yes you just don’t understand don’t comprenhend because you are deep deep entilted ( even if you are wrong ) with your improved direct manipulation of the recording signal. You are listening to a different recording not the origianl that we all are litening even with several trade-offs.

 

I don't manipulate the recording signal, only gave it some " things " as ( example ) the shortest path where that MUSIC signal must pass trhoug or neutral passive/active parts as Wima FKP1, etc, etc. I try to let intact the signal recording integrity. Way different of what you do.

No, I don't need as you that other gentlemans validate my room/system MUSIC reproduction, you need it and do.

 

R.

carlos269's avatar
carlos269 OP
483 posts
 

NativeDSD.com uses HQPlayer for high-resolution music production, with Grammy® Award winner Tom Caulfield mastering music in DSD 1024 and DSD 512 using HQPlayer Pro. Additionally, HQPlayer is a recommended playback software for NativeDSD's customers. 

knownothing
1,824 posts
 

@carlos269 thanks for the advice on recording from listening position for sharing on the Internet.  Given my only equipment to do any of that is an iPhone 13Pro and given my impression of the results of your recordings and recordings of any other systems I have ever listened to on YouTube or recorded with a smartphone and played back for critical review, including of my own systems, I will not be treading that path.  But also not trying to dissuade you in any way either, because it is quite clear these YouTube recordings accompanied by your post-production engineering of recorded music is what really floats your boat.  Wishing you a tailwind and a following sea.

kn

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