SPL Phonitor Roll Call & Appreciation Thread - Page 6

Cal, this is my guess, too, as to why there's a difference in perception. In fact, I think this "relativity" principle explains a LOT of the differences in how we on Head-Fi perceive SQ. When we move away from the extremes toward the large gray area in the middle, our sense of what we hear is dependent on contrast, for example cool water begins to feel warm when we contrast it to really cold water. The same may be true for amps. We don't realize an amp is warm until we hear one that's even more neutral.

True. And when you add other variables such as the quality of the recording or at least the intent of the arranger, engineer, etc., then you up the probability of error.

I guess we always return to the question of what, exactly, we mean by "neutral." For me, it means "natural," or the ability to accurately reveal and present the recording as intended by the producers. It adds no emphasis, coloring, or veil. It takes nothing away, and it adds nothing. It provides a clear view into the recording, with little or no distortion. It provides a completely "sterile" medium for the translation of the music so we, the listener, hear it in its intended form.

Using this definition and assuming good quality recordings, I think most of us can distinguish between altered and unaltered sound -- the altered being "warmer" and the unaltered being "cooler" or more neutral. But, and this is my point, we don't know the "direction" -- warmer or cooler -- of the SQ until we do a comparison.

Marshall McLuhan used the terms "hot" and "cool" to describe the way we interact with media. And his distinction seems to be applicable in defining warm and cool in audiophilia, too. The cooler SQ tends to make us work harder at our listening, demanding more attention. The warmer is more relaxing and less demanding. Thus, the first is considered more "analytical," and the other more entertaining or musical.

So, returning to the Phonitor vs. Auditor comparison, my guess is that we don't realize how much less neutral the Auditor is until we compare it to the Phonitor. In other words, in contrast to the Phonitor, the Auditor sounds warmer. But if you haven't heard the Phonitor, you might think it's neutral in comparison to other amps you've heard.

I'm not sure if this is making any sense.

Eugene, this is a cool way to graphically present the problem. Helps to clarify the issue.

First, I'm not disagreeing with you or Kees. In fact, I agree with both of you re an absolute standard (true neutral). My point was not about the absolute, but the actual data (or observations). Using your graphics, I'm referring to the line with the plus and minus signs.

In all three, the Auditor (+) is depicted as warmer. Regardless of where they both are in relationship to the true neutral. Thus, yes, they may both be warm or cool, but our ears can determine which of the two is warmer or cooler.

Re the Auditor and Phonitor, my guess is that they're both cool in relationship to true neutral, but the Phonitor is cooler -- thus making the Auditor, by comparison, warmer.

LOL! Including myself. I just reread what I posted earlier and can't understand a word of it. So much for trying to make sense out this insanity that's my hobby.

I should hope so. If "people" are breathing and thinking, they do exactly that. They don't simply decode. They process the information they receive. And because language is, by nature, imprecise, fuzzy, and messy, communication is full of unintended effects. This is why we have discussions to confirm or correct our perceptions and interpretations.

OK. If only to make it clearer for myself.

It's kinda like two cars racing along a straight stretch of unfamiliar country road late on a moonless night with no lights except the headlights. There are no other cars. One car is behind the other. Beyond the beams of their headlights, everything is pitch black. They have no sense of how far along the road they are, but they're still aware of who's ahead and who's behind.

One of the cars is the Phonitor, and the other, the Auditor. The drivers can tell which is ahead and which is behind, regardless of where they are in reference to the true midpoint of the road.

In other words, ahead or behind are relative terms determined by the positions of the cars to one another.

Applying this analogy to a comparison of the SPL amps, we can say that one appears to be cooler than the other -- regardless of where the "true neutral" is.

I'm not sure if this is any clearer, but I hope it is.