What is the art of sound?

[Steve Toy]

Steve, could you be more specific?

What is your art of sound? You've stated the kind of equipment you want to use but not the kind of presentation of recorded music you seek from it.

[aquapiranha]

Steve, could you be more specific?

What is your art of sound? You've stated the kind of equipment you want to use but not the kind of presentation of recorded music you seek from it.

Sorry Steve. I suppose what I strive for is basically to have a sound that recalls as much realism as is possible. I want to be able to sit down whenever I get the spare time and be transported elsewhere by the music. To that end I have certain requirements:

I like a big, expansive "sound stage" but most importantly, all of the instruments and / or vocalists must be palpable and well defined within this sound stage. All of the instruments must display as far as possible the traits they show in a live performance, with each in its own space and time line within the music, separate, yet working together to produce a sound that enables me to imagine they are in the room with me.

I suppose I do not go for "hifi" things, preferring instead to take the music as a whole, an experience to enjoy, and not an exercise in "critical listening"

Music is meant to be enjoyed. What good is listening to it if all you are going to do is dissect everything instead of relaxing and letting it take you over?

[Yiangos]

I believe Martin T and Steve (aquapiranha)said it well but let me add something.From what i remember a few years ago and ever since i began reading magazines and listening to music,all reviewers used to say that there was absolutely no way to approach live sound in our rooms.Unless something redical happened during the last years,that comment still stands.Therefore,my view on the subject is hi-fi is full of compromises.
Unless one has the perfect room and the perfect system (money money money) there's absolutely no way to recreate live sound.What really matters is to setup a system that plays the way you like it.I am not sure i am making myself clear on this but what matters to me is when i sit to listen to music,i want my system to be balanced.If i notice that something attracts my attention (i.e. certain frequencies,especially in the upper mid and treble sticking out)then the whole concept is wrong.The system should be "invicible" and well balanced.What i am trying to say here is apart from personal prefferences,a system should be synergistic.

[Steve Toy]

The bar to live sound from hi-fi isn't room acoustics - you could have a live band in your room and it would sound, er, live. The problem is dynamic range. No hi-fi can do it to reproduce any live instrument, especially not that of a drum kit.

[aquapiranha]

The bar to live sound from hi-fi isn't room acoustics - you could have a live band in your room and it would sound, er, live. The problem is dynamic range. No hi-fi can do it to reproduce any live instrument, especially not that of a drum kit.

Indeed Steve. That is why I say "strive" for that kind of sound. Lot's of fun in the chase though!

[alb]

I suppose I do not go for "hifi" things, preferring instead to take the music as a whole, an experience to enjoy, and not an exercise in "critical listening"

Music is meant to be enjoyed. What good is listening to it if all you are going to do is dissect everything instead of relaxing and letting it take you over?

Interesting that many of us who dabble in the DIY side, would relate the above to their own preferences. Even though we have the ability to create a clinically detailed and accurate system should we wish to. I wonder if this only applies to tube heads.
Solid state DIYers often seem to go for surgical precision. I suspect - having done both - that it's easier to arrive at this with SS devices.

Whilst it's true that systems can't reproduce the dynamics of some types of instruments, i've heard one or two lately that have a good go at it.
I wonder if the average recording even has any dynamics to start with.
Maybe in another thirty years....

[Marco]

Whilst it's true that systems can't reproduce the dynamics of some types of instruments, i've heard one or two lately that have a good go at it.

Marco.

[StanleyB]

The old Cerwin Vega AT80 speakers were the first production speakers I knew of that could produce a dynamic range to scare the neighbours.

Stan

[Ali Tait]

Most modern recording are so compressed that the full dynamic range of the music isn't present anyhow.If it ain't in the recording,you can't reproduce it!

[Steve Toy]

Ali, this is unfortunately the case where recordings are designed to match the more dynamically compressed kit they are most likely to be played on.