a1joe507
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2007
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Quote:
Great original post, good thread.
As someone who used to play a lot of piano much of my perception of its sound comes from being right next to it, as well as feeling it vibrate and all the tactile feedback of feet on pedals and fingers on keys. I was interested recently on listening to two zenph recordings of the same 'performance', one "at the keyboard" the other "in the audience". I expected them to sound different, but not as different as in fact they did sound in these recordings.
So this is yet another variable to consider about what is the "real" sound.
Of course, I listen (and listened, when I was learning) to a lot of piano performance as an audience member too; but one at least partly 'hears' it as if one is performing it oneself. This changes the perception.
I'm sure this applies to any instrumentalist/singer - well, any 'performer' in any field in fact.
I certainly have no answer about which is the "real" headphone. I don't expect I ever will. The LCD2 gives me a very "convincing" reproduction of piano - far more so than the not very many other phones (original Stax Lambda pro; a Senn 5xx; Beyer T1; K701 auditioned for a few days; Grado RS1, HF2) I have experience with. But I say "convincing" not "real".
Indeed, I agree completely with the OP's concluding remarks.
Interesting! I too played piano (before and while training on trumpet). The recordings of piano that I have enjoyed most and purchased are "near" recordings, as one might hear it if performing it, vs hearing it while being in the audience. Although I passively noticed the preference before, I had not thought about it specifically until you mentioned it here. Yes, another variable!
I do wonder if these sorts of things register as primary in preferences for recordings with people that have never played an instrument.