[indysmith]

I'm joking, obviously. Well, perhaps joking is the wrong word - more exaggerating...
Ever since I got my Grados my ears have been picking up details in songs that REALLY wind me up. Some albums have super-annoying clipped vocals in the background, some have pops and crackles that are clearly added digitally, some acoustic tracks have the sound of fretbuzz being injected into my ear canal. Lower quality files (such as streaming audio on MySpace etc.) sound terrible and harsh, higher quality files make me wish I'd never downloaded an MP3, and Vinyls make me wish I'd never had anything but!
I could go on for days; albums i previously loved for the music, i now hate for the bad production... It's a damn shame.
Does anyone have similar feelings or do I stand alone on this one?

 

[hawk]

I've also heard some things i'd never noticed before in songs i've heard many times while listening to my HD485'S i.e the horns on the Sonny & Cher song The Beat Goes On being mixed so they're in the background[not where i'd of mixed em imho]....not that it destroyed my listening experience but it definitely changed my impression of that song.

 

[jinp6301]

you'll get over it. If you really love a song, you'll love it even if its recorded like poop

 

[leftnose]

well, all I can say is don't get a good headphone amp!

 

[vinho83]

Quote:

Originally Posted by indysmith /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm joking, obviously. Well, perhaps joking is the wrong word - more exaggerating... Ever since I got my Grados my ears have been picking up details in songs that REALLY wind me up. Some albums have super-annoying clipped vocals in the background, some have pops and crackles that are clearly added digitally, some acoustic tracks have the sound of fretbuzz being injected into my ear canal. Lower quality files (such as streaming audio on MySpace etc.) sound terrible and harsh, higher quality files make me wish I'd never downloaded an MP3, and Vinyls make me wish I'd never had anything but! I could go on for days; albums i previously loved for the music, i now hate for the bad production... It's a damn shame. Does anyone have similar feelings or do I stand alone on this one?

thats sooo true.. some songs sound good because of the vocals and i just used to enjoy them on my cheapo car speakers.. but god they sound so different thru a good headphone setup

the headphones show more detail to the background music. n bcos e background music is poorly done.. its hard to ignore e music n appreciate e vocals as normal anymore

just an example.. augustana's boston

 

[Stephen_Ri]

Join the Head-Fi Stoics. The position is essentially this: invest in a system that will not be the limiting factor in the prestentation of the music that reaches your ear. That some recordings are less than ideal is quite beyond your control, so take satisfaction in the knowledge that you hear all there is to hear of them, and enjoy the music.

 

[mrdeadfolx]

I agree completely. A few BRUTAL examples of songs I just heard today, that I love, but now also hate and can barely stand because of background hisses and pops are Boston's Foreplay/Long Time and 54-40's Baby Have Some Faith. The artifacts in these songs absolutely ruin them for me, and I LOVE these songs.

 

[greydragon]

Yep, I feel ya. The curse of wanting the best possible hardware thinking that you'll hear more/better, but in fact the opposite happens--you hear how lousy the music was recorded/produced, and you'll want to listen less!

Another bad thing about audiophilism is that you start listening to the gear, rather than the music: 'Is the bass response accurate?' 'Hows the decay?' 'Soundstage?' ...

 

[Rempert]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greydragon /img/forum/go_quote.gif Another bad thing about audiophilism is that you start listening to the gear, rather than the music: 'Is the bass response accurate?' 'Hows the decay?' 'Soundstage?' ...

What's worse, if these three things are accurate on a properly configured stereo system, how could they be right on headphones? It's amazing how quickly our brains adapt to such an unusual listening environment.

Regarding the original post, I must say my A900 setup is extremely forgiving and decides almost every song sounds peachy keen. It's a Beautiful Life in A900 land. My KRK monitors are more the type to hold a grudge if you step on their toes.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Yeah, decent equipment really shows up bad recording and mastering.

You might want to look at this as an opportunity to check out some different genres. Jazz and classical are known for excellent recording habits. Even if they don't interest you, check out a used disc some time just for the sonic qualities.

 

[greydragon]

Another thing I wanted to add is that with better equipment, I started to hear the dreaded effects of compression. It's so horrible, everything just sounds LOUD, and it almost always drowns out the vocals. Dynamics gone to crap along with proper soundstage. What the hell is wrong with the music industry!?

 

[Happy Camper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by greydragon /img/forum/go_quote.gif Another thing I wanted to add is that with better equipment, I started to hear the dreaded effects of compression. It's so horrible, everything just sounds LOUD, and it almost always drowns out the vocals. Dynamics gone to crap along with proper soundstage. What the hell is wrong with the music industry!?

They make music for car systems and ipods. Not too many customers demanding true hi-fi recordings. Too much investment in equipment to have a strong demand. Look at how many of us live in the early days of music, when recording was done with pride and reputation.

 

[skeeder]

yeah, I understand what your talking about...now lower quality recordings bug me. Live recordings are super annoying to me.