Bob Dylan writes songs and leaves the lyrical interpretation to the listener. How we interpret an artists work is part of the process.
“Audiophiles don’t use their systems to listen to your music, they use your music to listen to their systems.”
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Many older audiophiles dismiss it based on outdated assumptions.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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I agree with you to some extent. I have just gotten rid of my last tube piece of gear, an ARC PH-7 which I loved for many years, partly because lt was "clearer" than my ARC PH-3. I replaced my ARC Ref. 3 preamp this year, also. It's sound was pretty tight. ARC is trying to tighten their sound, in the sense that musical notes have less bloom. So, now I have Pass Labs gear in their place. Pass Labs, however, still has a "softer" sound than other solid state gear. My setup sounds pretty close to the ARC sound I got rid of. Here is an example of what I am talking about. I owned a McCormack DNA-1 with many upgrades for many years. I ran various speakers with that amp. Years ago, a friend of mine went on vacation and loaned me his Krell amp to try out. It was a little more expensive than the McCormack, but not much. The bass slam on the Krell was obviously much better. But the mids and especially highs sounded hard to me and unenjoyable. I couldn't get that Krell out of my system fast enough. This dichotome between "musical" and "analytical" equipment still exists today. I have always leaned toward "musical" speakers with a softer sound. I now own Sonus Faber speakers which are known for their "musicality." I think I'll just leave it at that, because reviewers constantly use those two terms, "musicality" and "analytical" sound, and I don't think that there's any dispute that they exist in current equipment. |
Dear @audio-b-dog : " Even when one musician is playing in the orchestra, I have to look around for that musician. "
In a hall MUSIC waves bounce because the whole hall reflections but as you go nerar and nearer in seat position that bounce almost disappears for your ears but you are not seated at near field position in that hall and that's why you listen what you said in your post.
100 feet from the orchestra are almost 30m. certainly that's not near field seat position and remember that recording microphones are " seated " at near field position.
@ghdprentice " I would think less emphasis on details over the rest of the spectrum will for fully integrate the sound to so make it sound more real...as opposed to distortion "
That emphasis on " details " came from the recording proccess or from the room/system reproduction.
In my case if comes in the recording that's what I wnat to hear because is one of my system targets. Yes you can mopdify that details emphasis through rom treatment manipulation but when you do that then you lost not only details because the room treatment does not " understand " of the adyacents harmonics that you could lost. Always exist trade-offs: which yours? because I already choosed mine.
R. |
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