music genre & system set-up

[admin_exported]

am just wondering - do the kind of amps and speakers you buy vary according to the kind of music you listen to?

gut instinct tells me that those who listen primarily to classical will not have the same set-up at all as those who listen to pop / rock etc.

and what happens if one listens to a wide range of music - does the combi matter anymore? or will the only decisions that matter be

1) power of amp to drive the speakers

2) whether one likes it more mellow or bright (I'm assuming mellow = warm, and bright = hard in the hi-fi terminology or are they different?)

3) how defined the various tones are in the sound (the more defined the better)

 

[Anonymous]

theoretically, good speakers combined with a good amp should be good for any genre of music, be it classical, rock, blues or jazz

 

[Anonymous]

theoretically is the key word.....

 

[Anonymous]

daskeg:theoretically is the key word.....

no .... budget is the keyword

 

[idc]

Compromise is key. I go for detail, clarity and dynamics as I listen to a lot of multi - instrumental progressive rock. But, with headphones I can adapt the sound by changing so Grado for rock and AKG for the jazzy end of the genre.

 

[ESP2009]

I think that budget is key - it determines whether or not you have to compromise. Of course, you can also factor in other things such as 'understanding wife/partner'. Even with the best of budgets, you may have to compromise for other reasons.

But budget and other factors not withstanding, I would tend to agree that theoretically you should be able to purchase a system capable of dealing with any kind of music.

However, I reckon idc has an excellent solution.

 

[drummerman]

idc:

... Compromise is key. ...

 

[idc]

I do not think that budget is even relevant. From a few hundred to hundreds of thousand, spending more does not equal a system that sounds brilliant with all genres.

Finding the least amount of compromise is the key. Adapting head-fi into an existing set up helps as you can headphones for one genre and your speakers for another. But I accept not all are prepared to go the head-fi route due to the obvious overall soundstage issue.

To achieve the best compromise I think you need to look beyond the genre and think about what overall sound you want; mellow, dynamic etc etc. Even with mellow music, I am happy with a bright, dynamic sound.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes - as a general rule the less you spend the more you have to consider what type of music you are going to be listening to and be prepared to compromise

 

[matthewpiano]

Completely agree about compromise.

I personally think that the issue is more complex than just genre/system interactions.

To me, the way in which we listen is actually a much more important influence on the equipment we should buy.

Volume levels is a key area. So much equipment is poor at low volume levels for one reason or another. On some amplification and speakers you really have to get as far as 9 o'clock on the volume control before you get the full sound of the system. For example, Quad 11Ls need plenty of power behind them and below about 9 o'clock on most amps they sound veiled and boring. Turn the wick up a bit and they really start to sing, but this is absolutely no good if you live in a flat (like me) and need to listen at low levels most of the time.

Listening distance is another neglected area. Some speakers just don't sound right until you are sat well back from them whilst some are ideally suited for 'near field' listening but aren't so successful at filling a big space with sound.

Sometimes I think it is too easy to get carried away with the kit/sound we want that we forget to consider how it will interact with our listening environment (and I mean environment in its widest sense, including space, room setup, consideration of others around us etc.).

 

[ESP2009]

There's a lot of sense in what you say. I can't always listen at the volume I would wish to. As you say, it can take a setting beyond 9 o'clock to begin to hear a system 'sing'.

Environment is very important, which brings us back to compromise and also budget. Truth is, it's rarely simple; more usually it's a combination of factors.

 

[the record spot]

I listen to a wide range of music at home - rock, classical, jazz, vocal, electronic (Jarre, Tangerine Dream, etc., as opposed to the electronica/dance genre), so I need to have something that will handle all of it. No doubt compromise comes into it but over time we've built up a decent system that performs well across the board and the current set-up delivers good results with all of it.

 

[ESP2009]

the record spot:I listen to a wide range of music at home - rock, classical, jazz, vocal, electronic (Jarre, Tangerine Dream, etc., as opposed to the electronica/dance genre), so I need to have something that will handle all of it. No doubt compromise comes into it but over time we've built up a decent system that performs well across the board and the current set-up delivers good results with all of it.

All well and good having a system that does just that, but if the neighbours and/or family don't agree with your taste in music or volume at which you play it, or if your room configuration is less than optimal, you back to compromise...or the budget to overcome the need to compromise.

 

[the record spot]

Got a setup that works at all volumes too - the Missions are 89db, the Sansui amp is a very conservative 85wpc, sounds good irrespective of the dial setting. Like I said, it took a while to get to this. Also helps we have a detached place right now, so can turn the volume up when the children aren't in bed, or more usually, when they're in the house (not so great for their little ears).

When I said compromise, I wasn't referring to situations with family, neighbours or the like as they're things most folk have to deal with really.

 

[ESP2009]

My friend, you have my interest - I will be Googling the kit you mention.

If we ever move, I am going to give serious consideration to a detached residence.