I've been meaning to ask this question for a long time and I might as well ask it here as this discussion has to do heavily with sound that is coloured vs what what was intended. Sorry if this has been covered before but I haven't found the exact answer to my particular question.
What exactly is the original sound of anything anyways? There aren't any microphones when you go to a classical concert or opera so if you've been you know what sounds natural and the way instruments are supposed to sound but any other sort of music that requires any sort of amplification is suspect in my eyes. (even with classical concerts you have the question of instruments of different periods and the acoustics of the hall they are recording in)
Take your typical current pop recordings, they are so highly produced that I dare anyone to tell me what is uncoloured or the natural way the music is supposed to sound. I mean, some sound engineer (forgive me for not knowing the technical terms for the people that deal with recording the music and mixing it for the artists; as a disclaimer I don't play any instruments but have been to many operas and classical concerts and have friends who have played and play in orchestras) had to decide what type of sound they wanted which doesn't necessarily mean that their choice is the sound that everyone will enjoy. Even if you go to most concerts you're still hearing the music through some sound system that is "colouring" the sound.
If someone can explain to me in lay terms how they can tell what the definitive sound of any recording or music is and not just the most pleasing to them is it would be greatly appreciated. Or put another way, does an instrument like the electric guitar have a stock sound that everyone would recognize as the reference point for all electric guitars to try and achieve? These are not facetious questions and I am genuinely curious.
How does this question relate to this thread? IMO I guess all cords (I might as well throw in headphones, amps, etc.) have their value to their respective owners once a certain threshold of technical ability is reached and I recognize that there are many gradations even at the audiophile level.
Don't get me wrong, I'm listening to the HD650 right now with the stock cord while highly awaiting the GFT and I love looking for new phones, amps, etc. but is there any objective way to tell which is producing the most natural sound and is that even the best way one should look at any equipment? Maybe it is and maybe it isn't but the only reason I really ask this question is that some people on this forum seem to take the position that one company's headphones, amps, etc. produce a superior sound not just in a subjective sense but in an objective sense as well which I don't think is true.