I enjoyed reading the responses to my last post so much I thought I'd throw another observation into the mix.
In my history of searching for AudioHeaven I have occasionally been struck by a phenomenon. The Jaw Clench. Usually accompanied by a phone call to a friend, smoking too much, and re-packaging of components, followed by another trip to the local supplier of esoterica and understanding.
It's this: I have only ever noticed two kinds of audio system - ones that allow me to relax, and those that don't. Right at the outset, I have to say that quality of components don't necessarily figure in this picture, strange though that must be. Let me digress.
I read, in The Absolute Sound, I think, years ago an article written by one of the Gurus (name forgotten). In this article the reviewer stated that a particular listening session of an operatic aria had moved him to blind tears. Excellent, you may say, but there were two problems. Firstly, he was driving in his car, and secondly he was listening to a broadcast on an AM dashboard radio. The question was implicit: a life dedicated to the pursuit of Audio Truth, and involving much effort and considerable expense, but to what end? Proving that the so sought-after emotional involvement could come from such a degraded source?
I have noticed, as I say, two kinds of Audio System. Those that get out of the way, and those that don't, regardless of expense, at least to some extent. My Moment of Awakening happened perhaps twice (I guess that should be Moments). Once with a little Naim amp, Tangent turntable, and a trio of sub/sat Krell prototype speakers. the second was with an even cheaper CD set-up featuring a small Adcom amp with a pair of Bose 901's. In each case I felt an interesting sensation, which was that regardless of the qualities of the systems an absolute level of fidelity had been reached (not a perfection you understand, just a level where nothing could be changed without introducing logical and audible questions of fidelity) Very odd!
Of course I could never leave well enough alone (can anyone relate to this?!), so those "perfect" systems transmogrified many times. All very enjoyable, so I've no complaints. But the truth remains that those two strange systems remain in my mind (one was quite recent). In neither case do I particularly remember ever being conscious of the "sound", although I'm positive each set-up had a sonic signature. In each case I remember being able to breathe, and not clench my jaw whilst looking for my credit card.
Perhaps, and I'm reaching here, for some reason, my more logical processes told me that both systems, although flawed, did three things. They reached deep enough, and went loud enough (important parameters for me, an ex-classical musician, who likes reasonable dynamic levels), and they imaged just well enough. Not to make me remark on the air around the third violin in the orchestra, not by a long stretch. Not great imaging at all, but somehow acceptable enough to create an illusion. The rest of the work was up to me.
That might be the point, the question of how to create an illusion. I surmise there may be two approaches to audio in the home. The first is one we all know, where there is a laudable desire for the creation of an absolute reality. The idea of cramming an orchestra and choir into a space between the coffee table and the bookshelf certainly sounds strange, but it's what we try to do, aided and abetted by some very clever manufacturers. The second is where the fog of psychoacoustics enters, and the purpose of the system is to stimulate the listener sufficiently so as s/he can supply all the omitted information and simply be at one with the musical experience. This is perhaps where I feel that dynamic range and extended frequency response are particularly important to me. Regardless of the transparency/ liquidity etc of a pair of mini-monitors, they leave too much for me to do. and if I paid $200 a foot for that speaker cable (which I have), well, I darned well want to HEAR the difference! Not much to do with the imagination.
I think analogies abound: listening to a radio drama, as opposed to watching one is something we've maybe all experienced. The use of the imagination to "fill in the blanks" works very well in the former. Might it not also work very well in Audio? Obviously, all efforts are expended on the pursuit of accuracy - maybe a strange chase; a bit like trying to define Art in terms of Science. Of course, we can't buy imagination at the local store, so this is just as it has to be. But, with all the talk of emotional involvement in the music-listening process, imagination seems to be left on the sidelines. It just needs a little help, and the best thing is it's FREE!
There's not much in the way of logic to all of this, and I'm certainly not decrying the Way of the High End - it's far too much fun - but my experiences are quite real. Very thought-provoking.
I enjoyed reading the responses to my last post so much I thought I'd throw another observation into the mix.
In my history of searching for AudioHeaven I have occasionally been struck by a phenomenon. The Jaw Clench. Usually accompanied by a phone call to a friend, smoking too much, and re-packaging of components, followed by another trip to the local supplier of esoterica and understanding.
It's this: I have only ever noticed two kinds of audio system - ones that allow me to relax, and those that don't. Right at the outset, I have to say that quality of components don't necessarily figure in this picture, strange though that must be. Let me digress.
I read, in The Absolute Sound, I think, years ago an article written by one of the Gurus (name forgotten). In this article the reviewer stated that a particular listening session of an operatic aria had moved him to blind tears. Excellent, you may say, but there were two problems. Firstly, he was driving in his car, and secondly he was listening to a broadcast on an AM dashboard radio. The question was implicit: a life dedicated to the pursuit of Audio Truth, and involving much effort and considerable expense, but to what end? Proving that the so sought-after emotional involvement could come from such a degraded source?
I have noticed, as I say, two kinds of Audio System. Those that get out of the way, and those that don't, regardless of expense, at least to some extent. My Moment of Awakening happened perhaps twice (I guess that should be Moments). Once with a little Naim amp, Tangent turntable, and a trio of sub/sat Krell prototype speakers. the second was with an even cheaper CD set-up featuring a small Adcom amp with a pair of Bose 901's. In each case I felt an interesting sensation, which was that regardless of the qualities of the systems an absolute level of fidelity had been reached (not a perfection you understand, just a level where nothing could be changed without introducing logical and audible questions of fidelity) Very odd!
Of course I could never leave well enough alone (can anyone relate to this?!), so those "perfect" systems transmogrified many times. All very enjoyable, so I've no complaints. But the truth remains that those two strange systems remain in my mind (one was quite recent). In neither case do I particularly remember ever being conscious of the "sound", although I'm positive each set-up had a sonic signature. In each case I remember being able to breathe, and not clench my jaw whilst looking for my credit card.
Perhaps, and I'm reaching here, for some reason, my more logical processes told me that both systems, although flawed, did three things. They reached deep enough, and went loud enough (important parameters for me, an ex-classical musician, who likes reasonable dynamic levels), and they imaged just well enough. Not to make me remark on the air around the third violin in the orchestra, not by a long stretch. Not great imaging at all, but somehow acceptable enough to create an illusion. The rest of the work was up to me.
That might be the point, the question of how to create an illusion. I surmise there may be two approaches to audio in the home. The first is one we all know, where there is a laudable desire for the creation of an absolute reality. The idea of cramming an orchestra and choir into a space between the coffee table and the bookshelf certainly sounds strange, but it's what we try to do, aided and abetted by some very clever manufacturers. The second is where the fog of psychoacoustics enters, and the purpose of the system is to stimulate the listener sufficiently so as s/he can supply all the omitted information and simply be at one with the musical experience. This is perhaps where I feel that dynamic range and extended frequency response are particularly important to me. Regardless of the transparency/ liquidity etc of a pair of mini-monitors, they leave too much for me to do. and if I paid $200 a foot for that speaker cable (which I have), well, I darned well want to HEAR the difference! Not much to do with the imagination.
I think analogies abound: listening to a radio drama, as opposed to watching one is something we've maybe all experienced. The use of the imagination to "fill in the blanks" works very well in the former. Might it not also work very well in Audio? Obviously, all efforts are expended on the pursuit of accuracy - maybe a strange chase; a bit like trying to define Art in terms of Science. Of course, we can't buy imagination at the local store, so this is just as it has to be. But, with all the talk of emotional involvement in the music-listening process, imagination seems to be left on the sidelines. It just needs a little help, and the best thing is it's FREE!
There's not much in the way of logic to all of this, and I'm certainly not decrying the Way of the High End - it's far too much fun - but my experiences are quite real. Very thought-provoking.