I think the first thing to establish in this discuss is the question of what exactly are we listening to? Sound or music? If your first response is something like "sound is music!!!" then I would say that sound is the medium carries music, but sound is obviously not necessarily music. So, if we're all listening to and enjoying music, then it is an aesthetic pleasure and the whole thing comes down to a person's personal taste. Objective measurements are nice. They can help me find the sound I am looking for. But the importance we put on this or that measurement is a subjective one. Ultimately, it is the subjective measurement of what sounds good to me for the music I listen to that will drive my decisions. When I order a steak, there are many objective things I could look at to help me find a steak that I'm going to enjoy. I may weigh some objective measurements as more important than others. I may choose to have a steak without any seasoning because "that's how the butcher intended it" or season it with salt, pepper and a little rosemary. The whole point I am trying to make is that listening to music is an esthetic pleasure. Especially as modern amps have increasing lower and lower levels of distortion and greater "sonic purity", many of us stop chasing that number and decide that maybe a some pepper would help me enjoy the steak a little more.
Just my two cents.
If Warmth Is a Distortion, Why Do So Many Audiophiles Still Defend It?
Hi everyone, this is my first post here. If it stirs some emotions — that’s not a bad thing. It means we’re all still passionate about this hobby.
As AI becomes capable of recreating any sound signature — warm, tube-like, analogue, ultra-wide, hyper-detailed, and everything in between — I’m starting to think the real future of audio lies in neutral, transparent, dynamic, and accurate hardware, while many of the “flavours” we chase may soon become software choices.
Over time, a few things have stood out to me:
• Warmth is pleasant, but it’s still coloration.
Beautiful, yes — but not accuracy, not transparency, and not always the artist’s intention.
• Warm gear enhances some tracks but softens accuracy in others.
Especially vocals, piano, violin, guitar, and other acoustic instruments. Some people hear this, some don’t, and some just prefer it that way.
• Modern Class D deserves more respect than it gets.
Many older audiophiles dismiss it based on outdated assumptions. But the latest designs are already extremely neutral, fast, and precise. I’m not sure how much longer Class A/AB will remain relevant beyond nostalgia and brand loyalty.
• Price reflects real quality only up to a point.
Beyond that, it becomes about branding, house sound, and personal bias. Preference is fine — but preference isn’t the same as absolute fidelity.
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⭐ Why I May Not Respond Immediately
This post is meant as a sharing of thoughts, not a debate I plan to defend point by point.
If I don’t reply right away, it’s because I’m taking time to read, think, and learn from others’ perspectives here.
Posting in good faith — looking forward to all views, supportive or critical.
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At the end of the day, what matters to me is that I enjoy and emotionally connect to the music. If I do, I’ve found the synergy in my system I’ve been chasing and audio nirvana. I’m not chasing true neutrality or measurements, live sound or hearing exactly what the artist or recording studio was striving for. If the system moves me, gets my toes tapping, puts a smile on my face or the look of awe and I forget about the gear, that’s what it is all about. If that means I’m not an Audiophile, doesn’t hurt my feelings, if that means I’m not truly achieving Hi Fidelity but Indont enjoy the sound of Hi Fidelity, why would I chase a sound that doesn’t bring me joy. Music to me is about an emotional connection that’s enhanced when I hear it played in a live venue with great acoustics and equipment or listening to recorded music on someone’s home system. Everyone’s ears hear differently, our hearing changes over time, like taste buds, our tastes changes. Chase what sounds good to you, weather warm sounding, full of distortion, neutral, analytical or a blend of both. Price doesn’t dictate enjoyment, you will find you like the sound of gear that’s warm or analytical, those are like different flavors of ice cream. Entirely possible that AI / Sonic filters will replace the need for different types of gear, if the filters deliver the desired sonic preference of the listener, would make sense. |
"Distortion" had meaning only in acoustic and music and engineering, not in audio forums, because in audio forums the concept is taking out of his roots in science and technology and out of his musical roots, and often associated with a negative signification linked to tubes versus S.S. or objectivists versus subjectivists which is preposterous because distortion could be and is often a wise use of superior harmonics in instrument playings or in engineering... And what is distortion for one is meaning for another ... Distortion need to be defined in a musical,acoustical, or engineering context, to be characterized as positive or negative ...In itself it could be neutral as tools are ... is this piece of music made of "distorted" sounds in a negative way ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5CCgFHk8co&list=RD-5CCgFHk8co&start_radio=1
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