System sounds flat?!

[admin_exported]

Last night my girlfriend stated that she wasn't enjoying listening to Belle & Sebastian's Tigermilk as it sounded 'flat' on my new system. All she could say explain this is that it sounded as though:
She was listening through a sheet of paper,
It was as though you had come out of a gig and couldn't hear properly, or
Its like when you have headphones on and put your hands over your ears

I didn't think that with anything i've put on the system sounds anything less than great, so was pretty surpised.

I would say her hearing probably is better than mine, but surely that wouldn't affect matters would it? I've set the system up as well as i can for the room so i don't think the speakers are too close to the wall or to each other.

Could this be down to the Naim's being more neutral than the Nad's they replaced?

any ideas?

 

[roger06]

Hi Eddie

I

have the Naim CD5i and Nait 5i and it still blows me away after 3 years.

Flat sounding it certainly isn't - it's a really engaging listen and I wouldn't call it 'neutral' either - I'd say it has a bias for mid range thus excels particularly well with vocals.

I use Dynaudio Audience SE52 speakers but othewise our systems are largely the same.

- is it run in ? when I first got mine home I was initally dissapointed so give it a good run in.

- have you considered using Naim's speaker cable ? Some Naimees swear you shouldn't use anything else (I use QED XT 400?? - I think) but am going to try the Naim stuff shortly...

I don't know the music you refer to but the Naim is very revealing so a CD with poor production may sound a little flat...

RH

 

[Tear Drop]

Women can be brutally honest and generally have better hearing than men. I'll bet your girlfriend doesn't care less about the boxes/cables/brandnames etc, she is just telling you the truth. Don't get confused by the fact that you have spent a fair bit of money, as well as manufacturer reputations and all those glowing reviews. Be honest with yourself and listen to your system without all the hifi hangups and I bet you'll hear it in a totally different way - it's hard to do but is the first step towards putting together a genuinely high quality, enjoyable system.

 

[roger06]

Tear Drop:Women can be brutally honest and generally have better hearing than men. I'll bet your girlfriend doesn't care less about the boxes/cables/brandnames etc, she is just telling you the truth. Don't get confused by the fact that you have spent a fair bit of money, as well as manufacturer reputations and all those glowing reviews. Be honest with yourself and listen to your system without all the hifi hangups and I bet you'll hear it in a totally different way - it's hard to do but is the first step towards putting together a genuinely high quality, enjoyable system.

Yes but a Naim hi fi shouldn't sound flat... my wife hates the look of all things hi fi but when I first got it and played her some tracks she responded with 'wow, it sounds like Eric Clapton is in the room!' - that's a long way away from 'it sounds flat'...

 

[Tear Drop]

Bit of a typical 'hifi' response there roger06. What a brand name 'should' or 'shouldn't' sound like is irrelevant.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

As it stands i'm perfectly happy with my system, and after initially trying to get it to sound 'hifi' i.e. as good as it can given the room i just sit back and listen and enjoy the music (which is, i think , what you mean Tear Drop). i'm sure after the 6-8 weeks i've had it i would have noticed if all my albumns consistantly sounded worse than before

Given the record was the first release of a twee indie band i also thought the production may be to blame (i doubt they would have remastered it too much).

Essentially i shouldn't really be bothered by the comment, but if i can get it to sound better then why not try!

Time to go home and listen, she's out for the evening so i can turn it up too. 😀

 

[Tear Drop]

fast eddie:Thanks for the replies everyone.

As it stands i'm perfectly happy with my system, and after initially trying to get it to sound 'hifi' i.e. as good as it can given the room i just sit back and listen and enjoy the music (which is, i think , what you mean Tear Drop). i'm sure after the 6-8 weeks i've had it i would have noticed if all my albumns consistantly sounded worse than before

Given the record was the first release of a twee indie band i also thought the production may be to blame (i doubt they would have remastered it too much).

Essentially i shouldn't really be bothered by the comment, but if i can get it to sound better then why not try!

Time to go home and listen, she's out for the evening so i can turn it up too. 😀

Granted, a lot of modern recordings can sound naff. Perhaps you should play some other 'better' sounding stuff and see what she says then. If 'flat' is still the verdict, well.....

 

[Big Chris]

Have you uprated your mains cables?

🙂

Also, I think we're overlooking the bigger issue. Your Girlfriend was listening to Belle & Sebastian.

;-)

 

[Anonymous]

fast eddie:Last night my girlfriend stated that she wasn't enjoying listening to Belle & Sebastian's Tigermilk as it sounded 'flat' on my new system. All she could say explain this is that it sounded as though:
She was listening through a sheet of paper,
It was as though you had come out of a gig and couldn't hear properly, or
Its like when you have headphones on and put your hands over your ears

any ideas?

Did you upset her in any way, shape or form in the last ten years? (It could be payback time)

 

[chebby]

...

 

[drummerman]

roger06:

Some Naimees swear you shouldn't use anything else (I use QED XT 400?? - I think) but am going to try the Naim stuff shortly...

Naimees ... sweet

 

[Thaiman]

Naim's sound! Love it or hate it. Marmite of HiFi world...them black and green boxes.

 

[Tear Drop]

drummerman:roger06:

Some Naimees swear you shouldn't use anything else (I use QED XT 400?? - I think) but am going to try the Naim stuff shortly...

Naimees ... sweet

1st cousins of the Linnees, or so I hear...

 

[roger06]

Tear Drop:Bit of a typical 'hifi' response there roger06. What a brand name 'should' or 'shouldn't' sound like is irrelevant.

Of course it's a 'hi fi' response - it's a hi fi question on a hi fi forum!!

 

[Anonymous]

Well I'm listening to the same album now and i can't fault it. If my ears are rubbish then who cares, at least i'm happy. I guess it must just be that Marmite sound, of the others who have heard it they all loved the system.

I do agree that it can be a bit harsh though. it took a while to get used to it enough to be able turn it up loud. I certainly tap my feet more than i used to though and isn't that what its all about?

 

[jimdonnelly]

It does not matter what someone else thinks, if you are happy with the sound then fine. If you have any doubts then you should probably sell/trade it ASAP, as the niggles will only get worse over time. I dont think you should get used to a sound, you either enjoy it or you dont.

 

[Anonymous]

I love the sound. i was going to watch the nick cave night i recorded off bbc 3 or 4 tonight but couldnt drag myself away from the stereo. but also i can take things people to say too much to heart, in this case though i've decided she's talking p*sh. 😀

 

[the record spot]

fast eddie:Thanks for the replies everyone.

Given the record was the first release of a twee indie band...

* cough * * splutter * * belch *

I don't think the album, the hi-fi or the woman are at fault here by the evidence above...

 

[Anonymous]

Tear Drop:drummerman:roger06:

Some Naimees swear you shouldn't use anything else (I use QED XT 400?? - I think) but am going to try the Naim stuff shortly...

Naimees ... sweet

1st cousins of the Linnees, or so I hear...

I'd never be that much of a fanboy!

I just Monitor my Audio in my Audio Lab.

 

[chebby]

...

 

[Anonymous]

the record spot:fast eddie:Thanks for the replies everyone. Given the record was the first release of a twee indie band... * cough * * splutter * * belch * I don't think the album, the hi-fi or the woman are at fault here by the evidence above...

I disagree...... Good band but likely the album is not up to scratch. It was originally only realeased on vinyl (I'm sure, but I could be wrong) as part of a project by some Glasgow School of Art students.

Chances are your copy is a bootleg and even if it's not then the production quality is unlikely to the best you can find, they simply won't have had the budget and I have not heard of it being re-mastered and re-released.

If you like the sound of your hi-fi then don't sweat when others say they don't like it, perhaps her ears can just better pick out the poor production than yours?

 

[Anonymous]

the record spot:fast eddie:Thanks for the replies everyone.

Given the record was the first release of a twee indie band...

* cough * * splutter * * belch *

I don't think the album, the hi-fi or the woman are at fault here by the evidence above...

they are twee, they are indie (ish). and given that its produced by jeepster (i think at the time) its pretty certain they wouldn't have the best production.

and yes, it was first released on vinyl, limited to about 300 or 500 copies which didn't do much for years.

p.s. its my record so only my description is (possibly) to fault 😉

 

[Anonymous]

They're one of the twee(ist) bands on the planet :_) If you're feeling sinister is a great album though. Love 3...,6,...9 seconds of light single and Dog on Wheels too. Can't find my copy of the Sinister LP, i'll look for it and see if it sounds any good (it's been a while....).