What is "better" sound to you?

[Bunny]

I agree with the previous poster that good sound primarily involves an emotional response to the music. More important than impressive specifications is what is often referred to as "musicality". IMO, much of today's high end equipment, in its quest for ultimate resolution, produces sound that induces listening fatigue after a short while. I find this to be true of far too many expensive speakers that I have listened to at RMAF the last few years. In contrast, Paul, I believe that perhaps the main reason you like the Advent speakers so much is because they don't suffer from that characteristic.

Generally warm and blurry sounding gear is preferred by majority of the folks in the world because they have unhealthy body and ears. When ears are not healthy, they will convert sound from high frequencies into "distortion". Today most fancy manufacturers design and produce audio gear to "blur" the sound, so that unhealthy people can hear music without sounding rough or distorting and fatiguing. Ears play large part of this game, probably more than the audio gears.

 

To me, good sound especially involves capturing the true timbre of instruments, such as the wood as well as the metal strings of an acoustic guitar.

What you are saying is you want true sound? Not a fake mechanical sounding but true sound like in reality? That can be done by upgrading power cables. And if you go high end power cables it will go beyond real life, several steps closer to heaven. No I am not joking.

 

 

Rhythm and pace are other fundamentals of music that, IMO, are far more important than extreme detail. The latter, when excessive, can often can end up sounding analytic, the antithesis of becoming involved with or connected to the music.

Not necessarily true. Extreme detail is a good thing, and is very revealing. The extra details also promote larger soundstage, more 3-dimensionality. Stock cables provide more details than the fancy expensive aftermarket cables. A lot of higher end cables blur the sound just like the same way audio receivers and amps do. As a result you lose out detail.

 

It's easy to blur the sound to reduce fatigue. But it's difficult to increase detail and crisp sound without fatigue. 99% of manufacturers can't / don't have a clue to do it.

 

The ultimate sound by definition is to have the following:

 

- Dynamic Contrast

- Detail: Macro and Micro Detail

- True Timbre

- Multiple Dimensional sound (alien level from another planets, and yes, better than original recording and the file itself)

- Maximum Transparency (nakedness) without sounding harsh

- Some Openness / Airiness / Attack and Decay

- Musical elements separation (this also promotes more detail and textures)

- Cleanness and liquid smoothness without loss of detail

 

 

And speaking to other users here, no, loudness using high volume doesn't dictate sound quality. That's quantity, huge difference. Loud boomy bass and loud sound is for the parties for young folks.

 

 

 

bunny

[Bunny]

So do you have a prescription for my unhealthy ears?

Magnesium and Iodine I know so far that help repair your hearing. But there should be other nutrients out there that may also boost hearing. Based on my diet experience it's a huge difference. It is also very important what not to eat, which has even greater effect to hearing. So eating good food doesn't mean much if you keep eating those ice cream cones and twinkies everyday. I love sweets too. Drives me nuts not eating them. I wait till late night before I go to bed on weekends.

 

I will provide update in my Diet thread about what I have found out with food. It's a good news.

 

 

bunny