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20 hours ago, bluesman said:

 

 

From your earlier post, I would have expected you to say that Love over Gold sounds much better than DSOTM on your system.  So now I'm more than a little confused. 

 

DSOTM is certainly one of my favorite albums ever - but it's rock.  I actually drove (or as she erroneously recalls it, "dragged") my wife from Philly to DC (a 3 hour drive) to buy the original British vinyl when it was first released (and extremely hard to find in the US) because a record store on Dupont Circle had and held for me their one copy when I called them.  But it's about as electric and engineered as they come.  It was recorded in pieces on a 16 track machine with multiple synthesizers and some serious electronic manipulation.  Then it was manipulated even more, mixed and mastered to maximize its dramatic sonics and spatial presentation in both stereo and quadriphonic versions. 

 

Love over Gold, on the other hand, is a much lower key production that features Mark Knopfler's playing of several wonderful acoustic guitars.  He plays multiple 6 string acoustic guitars on it, both nylon and steel strung, plus a 12 string and his old National resonator guitar.  You don't need to know which is which to recognize that you're hearing different guitars, as the distinctly different sounds of each should be apparent on any decent system (of which yours is absolutely one).   The acoustic beauty of his instruments and playing is a large part of the sonic appeal of this album and can be heard delicately but clearly among the other instruments and vocals.  In fact, the entire album is much more delicate and much less "electric" than DSOTM.

 

This is why I recommend learning about the recordings you're hearing, so you can understand your own likes and dislikes in equipment well enough to find what you want and avoid what you don't.

 

I consider Love over Gold to sound better than DSOTM.

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On 7/1/2020 at 4:31 PM, Blake said:

100% purchase 2 subs, not just one.  Ideally, the subs will have their own built in DSP.  Subwoofers add more than just low frequency.  They also help to recreate the sense of the recording venue and improve sound staging.  It takes a little bit of work to get the placement of the subs correct, and then blended in, but once you get it right- wow!  One of the most perplexing things for me is, how so many in our hobby dismiss subs and low frequencies in general, like they don't matter.  They are totally fine with just lopping off an important part of the music, which is the polar opposite of the goal of high fidelity.

 

 

It’s a question about at which crossover frequency the sub should operate. The lower the crossover the less importance IMO if there is one or two subs.  It’s also a question about cost and if one great sub is better than two lesser subs. Finally but not least it’s a matter if you can properly place two subs in your listening room. In an ideal room and if the cost is no issue two is better, no doubt.   

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On 7/2/2020 at 6:30 PM, bluesman said:

I can’t make that kind of judgment between them.  Both are very well crafted, multi-tracked recordings of outstanding musicianship - they’re just very different in everything from concept to final presentation.  As a musician, I much prefer listening to Dire Straits.  Between the fine playing and the variety of guitars on LoG, I find fresh inspiration each time I hear even one track.

 

When facing the OP’s dilemma, each album has a role to play. The problem with using DS as an evaluation tool is that there’s no reference standard against which to compare it when played through alternative systems.  We can’t know how it’s supposed to sound because it’s not a recorded performance - recording it was the performance.  The album is its own and only reference standard.  Their live performances of tunes from it were meant to sound as much as possible like the record (which they could only approximate), rather than the usual effort to make the record sound like the band.  Sure, many touring bands want their concerts to be perfect covers of their recordings - but DSOTM used studio tricks that go far beyond most recordings and set a new bar.


Dire Straits could and did play all 5 tunes from LoG pretty much exactly as recorded.  Knopfler’s National resonator guitar has a known sound, so it’s easy to say how accurately it’s being reproduced.  There are several different guitars on it, and each sounds different from the rest - if they don’t, you need a better system.  Knopfler’s hand is in every aspect of that album, and he clearly made sure its sound was captured well and properly. He’s playing a single cone National on one track, and its sound is easily distinguished from a National tricone (like the one sitting next to me right now).  His 12 string sounds like a 12 string, not a processed 6.  Nylon strings are clearly different from metal strings.  The entire album is a great snapshot of the live sound of the band despite its multitracked methodology. This makes it an excellent reference to help inform the OP’s decision.

 

I listen to Dire Straits a lot more than I do to PF because I prefer the music.  But “better” doesn’t really apply, the way I see it.

 

Both are great records. To me DSOTM sound more like a studio record. I grow up with DSOTM and my father used to play it sometimes. I loved it so much that he gave it to me. To me Love over Gold does sound more lifelike and dynamic, at least in a good High End system. The lack of compression and a treble that can sound a bit too sharp on many audio system makes IMO Love over Gold an excellent evaluation tool.

 

In the right system: Telegraph Road, Private Investigations and Love over Gold can sound really good with its vibrant and expressive sound. DSOTM OTOH can’t really match the dynamics, harmonics and vibrancy of Love over Gold.

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