Is transparency good in an headphone amp - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Camper 

Find a transparent amp that lets you color it based on your tube selection.

This wins

I agree that transparency need not be bright sounding. I think all components need to let the information pass through and not veil the sound. Many tube components are noted for their transparency, but not at the expense of the overall musical experience being delivered.

Isn´t transparency kind of a lighter form of invisibility?

Meaning that a transparent amp shouldn´t have much colouration and be neither warm or bright? if you have a neutral source/headphones.

That is my thought as well.  I always equated transparency with neither adding nor removing any sound to the original source signal.  Warmth and coolness would be what I call addition the recording.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by oqvist 

Isn´t transparency kind of a lighter form of invisibility?

 

Meaning that a transparent amp shouldn´t have much colouration and be neither warm or bright? if you have a neutral source/headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hodgjy 

That is my thought as well.  I always equated transparency with neither adding nor removing any sound to the original source signal.  Warmth and coolness would be what I call addition the recording.

 

You're right.

There are actually 2 definitions.  The first one is as you say.  If I am playing a piano in a room, it's 100% transparent. The highs, the lows, nor the midrange are spotlighted (if a decent room).  I am just taking in the musical whole.  Unfortunately, most audiophile equipment is not transparent in this way.  Some engineers are better than others, but most still fail at producing the musical whole.  But many are good at bringing out all of the details on the recordings and frequently causing listener fatigue.  Many audiophiles also call this "transparency.  Many reviewers also fail us in this respect when they start analyzing parts of the sound instead of dealing with the whole. 

The second definition is the "over-bearing", analytical detail vs. "warmth"/ lack of detail dicotomy, and I believe that is what the original post is all about.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hodgjy 

That is my thought as well.  I always equated transparency with neither adding nor removing any sound to the original source signal.  Warmth and coolness would be what I call addition the recording.
 

 

Don't confuse voicing (cold/neutral/warm) with transparency...they are related but generally speaking transparency concerns detail/resolution level independent of voicing. Voicing however will influence resolution if that voicing is tilted too far from neutral. It is a delicate and difficult balancing act to design a neutral, transparent and musical amp but it's not impossible

Peete.