[22906]

I strongly believe there is a such thing as ideal sound reproduction, where the sound produced is an exact sonic copy (sound pressure, tonality, positioning, etc) of the original performance. This is a product of all the components in the chain from storage (vinyl, CD, digital files) to amplification to speakers/headphones. And I think that the goal of audio electronics should be to acheive that level of fidelity. Unfortunately, a lot of consumers simply like what sounds "good" which may be a distorted/colored version of what the original sounded like.

 

[Yikes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by m3_arun /img/forum/go_quote.gif Unfortunately, a lot of consumers simply like what sounds "good" which may be a distorted/colored version of what the original sounded like.

Why unfortunately? Why should you criticize how someone else listens or if their goals are different from your own.

 

[22906]

I'm not criticizing individuals and their goals. I am criticizing the tendency in general for people to think of equipment of "high fidelity" when really it distorts the original aural experience. It's unfortunate because if there is no demand for true audio fidelity, it's impossible for companies to put time/money into researching better technologies to make sound reproduction more accurate. I think some of the best audio components come from independent DIY engineers. If more time/money was put into efforts like this, on the whole we would advance farther in the area of sound reproduction. Not only that, but these technologies would be available at much more affordable prices.

 

[jmmtn4aj]

I'd love it if the equipment could make me feel like I'm sitting in an acoustically treated room (or studio) with the musician(s), just us. But is that actually possible?

 

[xnothingpoetic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmmtn4aj /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd love it if the equipment could make me feel like I'm sitting in an acoustically treated room (or studio) with the musician(s), just us. But is that actually possible?

No, but what is keeping you from getting as close to it as you can?

 

[jmmtn4aj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnothingpoetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif No, but what is keeping you from getting as close to it as you can?

The fact that if the headphones or speakers don't colour the sound or modify the sound, the amps seem to do it (otherwise you wouldn't need to match right?), or the source, or the cables..

 

[Yikes]

What is the sound of the original experience?

Last year I had the opportunity to hear the BSO perform Mahler's 3rd symphony on three different nights and from three different seating positions. What this really drove home is that there is NO absolute sound as far as music reproduction goes. Each listening position had a different perspective and sound, and yet all were outstanding. They each emphasized different aspects of the sonics and the performance. Your belief that there is one true Ideal in sound reproduction is naive.

As a matter of course I hunt for equipment that I believe editorializes as little as possible, but since listening is in of its self a subjective exercise I realize that each person is likely to find their own sonic truth.

 

[22906]

If you were recording the sound from a certain location and orientation, then a playback of your recording should sound the same to you as when you first heard it. You're right that the experience of sound is subjective. However, for one person listening to a performance, I'd argue that there is a process of recording/storage/reproduction that can accurately reproduce the sound for that person. Additionally, I think that there would be VERY little difference in the process for most accurate reproduction among different people. In other words, it doesn't make sense that two people who sat next to each other at a performance would have different opinions on which recording was the most accurate (not pleasing, but accurate).

That is in an ideal world of course. In reality, the color the amplifier is painted would probably affect someone's subjective experience of the reproduced sound. However, I have hope that we can develop ways of isolating fidelity as a measurable attribute of audio equipment.

 

[omegaman]

In an ideal world this would be great, but in the real world I only have so much I can spend.

All music sounds slightly different through different sources/speakers etc. I think most people on this forum try to get as close to the real thing as they can with the budget they have.

I would love to hear my favourite band in " True audio fidelity " but my wallet wont let me.

 

[jmmtn4aj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yikes /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is the sound of the original experience? Last year I had the opportunity to hear the BSO perform Mahler's 3rd symphony on three different nights and from three different seating positions. What this really drove home is that there is NO absolute sound as far as music reproduction goes. Each listening position had a different perspective and sound, and yet all were outstanding. They each emphasized different aspects of the sonics and the performance. Your belief that there is one true Ideal in sound reproduction is naive. As a matter of course I hunt for equipment that I believe editorializes as little as possible, but since listening is in of its self a subjective exercise I realize that each person is likely to find their own sonic truth.

Sitting in the sonically 'best' position.. I assume that like cinemas there is one?

 

[sejarzo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by m3_arun /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you were recording the sound from a certain location and orientation, then a playback of your recording should sound the same to you as when you first heard it. ...

But virtually all recordings are not made from a listener's location and/or orientation. Take a look at session pictures in CD booklets. You'll often see a "Decca tree" nearly directly above the podium, or a pair of spaced omnis above and behind the podium, with a couple of "flankers" to add some heft to the bass. And that's for "minimally miked" sessions....concertos or pieces with extensive solo parts often use spot miking on those players.

Recordings, outside of carefully produced binaural tracks, have for decades been done to sound good or "as correct as possible" on speaker systems. The advent of personal players and IEM's seems to be changing that to some degree. Even so....the Milwaukee SO is releasing their own live recordings made with the Neumann KU 100, but I've read that the "head" is suspended above the orchestra. Not too many folks have the opportunity to listen to a live orchestra from that perspective, eh? Put it in the audience, and you'd have all sorts of noise issues.

Also consider the fact that the real performance of a symphony is necessarily in a huge space--and the mastering is done on speakers, and in a much smaller space with entirely different frequency response, so any tweaking at that point naturally is an attempt to make it sound "right" in that space.

 

[saint.panda]

If it sounds good, it is good.

 

[ken36]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda /img/forum/go_quote.gif If it sounds good, it is good.

A man with a plan. Good stuff/

 

[jmmtn4aj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saint.panda /img/forum/go_quote.gif If it sounds good, it is good.

My problem with that is you end up needing several rigs to match different genres to achieve an 'ideal' listening experience.. To me the idea of music being reproduced exactly as the mic or recording equipment heard it, sound levels and all, seems the most ideal. Of course there's the problem with the various styles of mixing and mastering each audio engineer has, but that's another step that can be adjusted along with audio reproduction devices..

 

[wanderman]

their alot of things that speakers and headphones can reproduce but the atmosphere is not something it excels at. Going to a live performance can be a cheaper and more fulfilling endeavor then spending moneies on audio.