Forum poll - How important is accurate music reproduction to you?

[Vladimir]

Please indicate with a number on a scale from 1 to 4.

1 - Extremely unimportant. You prefer a certain type of sound that suits you and the chosen hardware needs to make music sound a certain way (warmer, colder, faster, slower etc).

2 - Mostly unimportant. You just want your favorite music to sound good, including poorer recordings.

3 - Mostly important. You like to get something that doesn't color the sound too much but doesn't sound too unpleasant with bad recordings.

4 - Extremely important. You want all music reproduced as accurately as possible, including good/bad mastering and production.

If your opinion is not represented on the list, try to chose the one that comes closest to yours.

 

[Superaintit]

2. I care about sound that is true to tone. On the other hand I've lived with B&O products for some years now and know for sure that they have tuned their products to have amplified highs and lows at lower volume and to compensate for room nodes. It's for this reason I believe in a sound that sounds completely neutral but in fact is compensating for the room's and our ears' failings.

 

[Bradley747]

2

 

[Blacksabbath25]

1 . for me i like my music to sound warm , detailed which marantz does well

 

[Native_bon]

1
Most instruments will sound far to hard and harsh played live in a living room environment.Even just after a few minutes. Emotional message and warmth.

Can you imagine a trumpet, volin and hi hats playing at high dynamic range simultaneously. In real life it will hurt.

 

[chebby]

2

 

[CnoEvil]

The nearest I can get, is 3.

I go for "realistic, natural and believable".

 

[steve_1979]

Most of the time number 4/3 but sometimes turning the subwoofer up loud and having a big ballsy bassy sound is good fun too which would put that into category 1/2

When I get a record player that'll have a colured sound (in a good way) so when I listen to that it'll be in category 1 or 2.

 

[Jota180]

3.5 That's the main system. If I want to listen to poorly recorded stuff there's always youtube.

 

[spiny norman]

4 - Extremely important. You want all music reproduced as accurately as possible, including good/bad mastering and production.

Accurate to what? What's the point of reference?

 

[Infiniteloop]

Please indicate with a number on a scale from 1 to 4.

1 - Extremely unimportant. You prefer a certain type of sound that suits you and the chosen hardware needs to make music sound a certain way (warmer, colder, faster, slower etc).

2 - Mostly unimportant. You just want your favorite music to sound good, including poorer recordings.

3 - Mostly important. You like to get something that doesn't color the sound too much but doesn't sound too unpleasant with bad recordings.

4 - Extremely important. You want all music reproduced as accurately as possible, including good/bad mastering and production.

If your opinion is not represented on the list, try to chose the one that comes closest to yours.

I think you need to define what you mean by 'accurate', since this is never going to be achieved in a household setting, especially using loudspeakers which are going to distort the sound much more than any other component in the reproduction chain.

 

[MeanandGreen]

It's a 3 for me.

I'd assume that by accurate he means as close as possible to the original recording.

 

[AntAxon]

I must admit I bought my Marantz PM 8005 because it had tone controls. However I have found the SQ is so good I rarely ever touch the bass mid or treble. The only recordings I use them for are things like The Beatles in Hamburg.

 

[spiny norman]

I'd assume that by accurate he means as close as possible to the original recording.

Yes, but how do you know how that recording is meant to sound?

 

[Vladimir]

Go by whatever you consider to be accurate. Just like others have before you two. It's a poll, there are no wrong answers.

 

[iQ Speakers]

What an interesting post!

I'm busy holding listening trials of various discrete Op Amps that in one way or another colour the sound of our Hypex amps. The standard Nord Hypex amp using Hypex's LM4562 op amp input board is brutally powerful and accurate though the LM4562 has a reputation for being warm. In isolation, sounds amazing, notes start and stop when thay should. Bass is highly controlled. I would suspect its on a level way above most £2K amps out there. A friend summed it up when I played the Abrahamsen after the Hypex which was delivering wind inducing levels of sound! Ye but that has a warmth, a somthing that is lovely to listen too!

So we are adding a full class A Sparkos Labs discrete Op Amp it adds that warmth that colour that so many of us love. Having said that a non HiFi friend when asked to compare said I prefer the Burson Op Amp its more accurate!

Anyway I have a number of friends in the business coming around to give there verdict and describe the various sounds.

So I guess they will prefer either 1, 2 or 3 I personelly prefer 1) though its still highley accurate it adds a level of rich warmth that is easy to listen to and puts a smile on my face!

Vlad I really wish you could pop around and give yor opinion!

 

[Native_bon]

I'd assume that by accurate he means as close as possible to the original recording.

Yes, but how do you know how that recording is meant to sound?

Good question.

 

[Vladimir]

What an interesting post!

I'm busy holding listening trials of various discrete Op Amps that in one way or another colour the sound of our Hypex amps. The standard Nord Hypex amp using Hypex's LM4562 op amp input board is brutally powerful and accurate though the LM4562 has a reputation for being warm. In isolation, sounds amazing, notes start and stop when thay should. Bass is highly controlled. I would suspect its on a level way above most £2K amps out there. A friend summed it up when I played the Abrahamsen after the Hypex which was delivering wind inducing levels of sound! Ye but that has a warmth, a somthing that is lovely to listen too!

So we are adding a full class A Sparkos Labs discrete Op Amp it adds that warmth that colour that so many of us love. Having said that a non HiFi friend when asked to compare said I prefer the Burson Op Amp its more accurate!

Anyway I have a number of friends in the business coming around to give there verdict and describe the various sounds.

So I guess they will prefer either 1, 2 or 3 I personelly prefer 1) though its still highley accurate it adds a level of rich warmth that is easy to listen to and puts a smile on my face!

Vlad I really wish you could pop around and give yor opinion!

Wish I could Colin. I love tweaking gear, even SS. Though i never have with different opamps. One guy would say give me this warm and rich one. Other will say just the accurate one and I have no doubt some will want both and a switch to flop for different recordings and moods.

 

[Vladimir]

I'd assume that by accurate he means as close as possible to the original recording.

Yes, but how do you know how that recording is meant to sound?

How do you do it Norm? What is you selection process for hi-fi gear? What matters?

 

[spiny norman]

How do you do it Norm? What is you selection process for hi-fi gear? What matters?

Knowing full well I can never know how every recording is meant to sound unless one is able to hear it played back on the same equipment and in the same room where the final mix was done, I just go for a sound I find enjoyable with the widest possible range of music.

 

[Jota180]

I'd assume that by accurate he means as close as possible to the original recording.

Yes, but how do you know how that recording is meant to sound?

You can kind of know what an acoustic instrument sounds like. Electronic music including electric guitars, you've no idea unless you have the same equipment the band used and notes on what setting they used on each instrument.

 

[Vladimir]

How do you do it Norm? What is you selection process for hi-fi gear? What matters?

Knowing full well I can never know how every recording is meant to sound unless one is able to hear it played back on the same equipment and in the same room where the final mix was done, I just go for a sound I find enjoyable with the widest possible range of music.

It's a 2.

 

[chebby]

What an interesting post!

I'm busy holding listening trials of various discrete Op Amps that in one way or another colour the sound of our Hypex amps. The standard Nord Hypex amp using Hypex's LM4562 op amp input board is brutally powerful and accurate though the LM4562 has a reputation for being warm.

During my time with a Beresford TC-7520 DAC I swapped in a pair of LM4562NA opamps and the change was gorgeous. Very smooth and detailed. This DAC forced the retirement (and eventual sale) of a Naim CD5i-2.

 

[Native_bon]

I listen to a very large range of musical styles, so it's either I only listen to well recorded limited few, or alternatively listen to music I like and not just well recorded music.

Accurate is not always believeable, knowing fully well what happens in the mastering stages in a recording studio.

 

[Al ears]

3 going on 4.