[CRESCENDOPOWER]

What is the ultimate goal for your system? Accuracy, and precision, or musical enjoyment?

 

[grinch]

i think i fit into the joelongwood category which is basically: i have every headphone setup i could really ever want and can listen to whatever music in whatever way i feel like at any given moment!

that said, i love the headmaster and i guess that'd be stuck in the "detail" category..

 

[Duncan]

I'm going for musical enjoyment... but, I do feel that some accuracy is needed to acheive that

 

[john_jcb]

When I first got my 600s I was obsessed with listening to the music and hearing things that I had not noticed before. For a time this really detracted from my enjoyment of the music as I was focusing on breath sounds, drums, guitar noises etc. Then as I listened more there was a change where I once again heard the music as a whole. So I would say musical enjoyment but that it is more enjoyable with accurate HPs

 

[arnett]

i've never understood the 'accuracy and precision' system goal. even if your system sounds accurate to you, the microphones used to capture the performances you listen to are at least slightly inaccurate. the mic cables connecting the mic to the pre-amp are inaccurate. certainly, the tube mic pre-amp is inaccurate.

then, in most recordings, artificial reverb and EQ is added during the mixing. then, it goes through a mastering process.
in other words, there's no such thing as an accurate recording. and even if there was, it's all relative: what's truly accurate might not sound accurate to your ears.

it's all about the musical enjoyment.

 

[kwkarth]

Being an engineeer, I go for accuracy and precision which GIVES ME GREAT MUSICAL ENJOYMENT!

 

[Hirsch]

Musical enjoyment, no contest. The poll is flawed in one way. Accuracy and precision is a means. Musical enjoyment is a goal. IMO those who focus on accuracy and precision above musical enjoyment are missing the point. That being said, I do prefer accuracy and precision, but only to the degree that it points to the real goal: musical enjoyment.

 

[HighwayStar]

I have to agree with Hirsch. Back when I was listening with crappy gear, I enjoyed my music (because I loved the music) but now that I've got gear that more accurately reproduces the recordings I enjoy it so much more. Imagine listening to your favorite piece through an AM radio. Then an Orpheus. I think accuracy and precision help fulfill your musical enjoyment. And after all, isn't enjoying the music what it's all about ?

 

[dhwilkin]

Yup, kwkarth and Hirsch got it right.

 

[HighwayStar]

Yeah, actually kwkarth stated in one line what I tried to say in my whole blabbering post

 

[arnett]

Quote:

Originally posted by HighwayStar I have to agree with Hirsch. Back when I was listening with crappy gear, I enjoyed my music (because I loved the music) but now that I've got gear that more accurately reproduces the recordings I enjoy it so much more.

i don't think this is true in most cases. i'm sure there are a lot of people here who don't listen to music at all. instead, they listen to their equipment. usually, as one gets more expensive gear and becomes an audiophile, only good recordings will do. unfortunately, the best recordings also have some of the worst music on them.

i've always found it funny how most pro musicians don't have killer stereos. i remember an article about Patricia Barber. she listens to a boombox at home.

 

[HighwayStar]

Quote:

Originally posted by arnett i don't think this is true in most cases. i'm sure there are a lot of people here who don't listen to music at all. instead, they listen to their equipment. usually, as one gets more expensive gear and becomes an audiophile, only good recordings will do. unfortunately, the best recordings also have some of the worst music on them. i've always found it funny how most pro musicians don't have killer stereos. i remember an article about Patricia Barber. she listens to a boombox at home.

That may be true for some. I wouldn't call myself an audiophile, (just check my profile

) but making the jump from mediocre phones to much better ones, amped, delivers my music better. I don't want to hear the equipment, just my music. While it's true that I have started listening to musical styles I hadn't before, it's not a quest for superior recordings. It's just that everything sounds so much better now and I can appreciate a lot more. As far as listening to equipment, the only sound I ever heard was the cha-ching of the cash register

 

[rohorn]

I can't have one without the other. But then again, most of my recordings fall under the heading of "direct feed", i.e, NO microphones except for vocal and some drum tracks.

 

[pigmode]

Quote:

Originally posted by arnett i don't think this is true in most cases. i'm sure there are a lot of people here who don't listen to music at all. instead, they listen to their equipment. usually, as one gets more expensive gear and becomes an audiophile, only good recordings will do. unfortunately, the best recordings also have some of the worst music on them. i've always found it funny how most pro musicians don't have killer stereos. i remember an article about Patricia Barber. she listens to a boombox at home.

I...am...an audiophile. I am doomed to a neverending cycle of equipment upgrades so that I can attain the highest level of sound from my system. Funny, whenever I listen to my system, nothing ever happens. I actually have to play some music first. I guess I like to hear my system playing music.

Accuracy and precision. A couple of great concepts I'm sure, but what I want is sonic pleasure, concepts be damned.

 

[BenG]

Musical enjoyment comes from music. More Accuracy/ precision from your gear delivers more of the musical message (if the recording can deliver it). I view euipment as cold plastic and metal devices that pass the recording along, they can only take away from the recording, not add anything.

But I can understand the people who mainly listen to rock and pop recordings saying more "accuracy" in euipment is not at all important for musical enjoyment. My advice is for them to go listen to samples of minimalist recordings from Mapleshade records on their website, for example.

In the end, I'll take the ****ty recording of good music any day over the demo disk of mediocre tunes. I don't understand people who primarily buy albums from the audiophile labels or those who just buy SACDs.

*But I think people need to get out of their head that just because you like more accuracy in your euipment for your dollar dosen't mean you like music less. this is a euipment forum you have to remember.*

In a perfect world I'll take both the great recording and the great music at the same time, but music is the whole point of this hobby for me. The average date of my recordings is 1962.