I have an Amazon Echo my wife uses at home…good, bad every recording sound “listenable” on it.
So it rolls off H/F?(I'm presuming you were asking me...)
I don't know necessarily about what it "adds" but I carefully selected my speakers/amps and room set up so that dynamics are well represented, a sense of density so even "thin" recordings have some pleasing palpability and drive, and generally speaking the system presents upper midrange/highs that sound both "open/extended/airy and realistic when called for" yet "relaxed" and easy to listen to. So some of the recordings that have an "ouch" factor on other systems are still pleasing on mine, and I can crank my system higher and still relax and enjoy, vs many others where I'd be more hesitant to dial up the volume.
Ultimately though it's going to be subjective. What may "still sound good" to me may not to you, but again the point is a system on which I find music more pleasing to listen to, not necessarily others.
So it rolls off H/F?
My problem is that now every song is rolled off whether they ‘ouch’ or not.
Keith
You have a major advantage over a person that does not get exposure to live instruments.I don't like "dark" or obviously rolled off sound, one reason being real life musical instruments and voices don't strike me as "dark/rolled off."
Lol, true nothing sounds great on it.Well, there ya go! All set. What'r you even doing here then?
(Our Sonos smart speaker always sounds "listenable" but it never sounds "great.")
You have a major advantage over a person that does not get exposure to live instruments.
Lol, true nothing sounds great on it.
My own system sounds like it’s much simpler than yours…powered monitors from the unmentionables (hehe)
and an RME Adi2. Good recordings sound like good recordings, bad recordings sound like I need to adjust the tone controls! Lol
Lol, you’re not picking up what I’m putting down! You might have missed the 2-3 previous pages…Oh they are very mentionable here! Active speakers are The In Thing.
I do, but my wife absolutely can’t stand some, especially a lot of that bass-light 80’s stuff.I guess it still comes down to what we mean by "bad recordings" on our system. For instance I could certainly separate "bad recordings" from "good" recordings on my system, it's just that I very much enjoy the experience of listening to even "bad recordings" as well. It could be the same for you on your system.
Who said that warts and all rendered anything unlistenable? Not me, but you got the term from my post. I said quite the opposite.MKR,
As someone seeking their end-game speaker, what are your thoughts on the discussion above. Do you want warts 'n all, ready to have some recordings rendered un-listenable, or do you want to make sure you can enjoy the widest range of recordings possible, or...? Do you use "reality" as any sort of touchstone when evaluating speakers (e.g. do voices or instruments sound 'right' or natural to your ear) or are you just comparing speakers to other speakers?
Who said that warts and all rendered anything unlistenable? Not me, but you got the term from my post. I said quite the opposite.
You said 'Do you want warts 'n all, ready to have some recordings rendered unlistenable..?'I wasn't attributing that view to you. I saw that you said you can still enjoy music in even "warts 'n all" recordings. That's one reason I responded in a post that it's subjective and someone may find a "poor recording" still enjoyable on their system.
I was making a general response to FlyingFreak saying that poor recordings such as Greenday sounded "terrible" on the KEF Blades, which I think brings up the issue of what individuals are seeking in their system. If two different audiophiles have the same impression in how the Blades rendered poor and good recordings, one may say "I want this speaker because of how great it sounds on great recordings, and I'm willing to live with poor recordings sounding awful."
The other may say "I don't want this speaker because it's going to render too much of the music/recordings I love as sounding bad."
Again, I think it's pretty subjective as to whether any speaker is making a track sound "awful" or unlistenable. And my position is certainly not that neutrality equates to "less listenable" or making you have to reject more recordings. Plenty of members here have very well dialed in systems that are quite neutral (as far as can be managed) but of course they enjoy music on their system just as someone with a much more colored system might. It's an individual thing, so the question is what is the individual seeking.
You said 'Do you want warts 'n all, ready to have some recordings rendered unlistenable..?'
You claimed that warts and all will render some recordings unlistenable. That is simply untrue.
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The other thing is how surgically precise the blades can be...
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You said 'Do you want warts 'n all, ready to have some recordings rendered unlistenable..?'
You claimed that warts and all will render some recordings unlistenable. That is simply untrue.
You may or may not have been referring to my post, but I gave a direct quote from you. You argue that a euphonic system is necessary to enjoy all recordings. Or that you only enjoy a certain type of sound. So you don't like the various sounds of different recordings, just the one sound of your imagining, and tune your system to provide that.Again: I wasn't quoting your position on this, or attributing a position to you.
Yes you used the phrase but it's a very common phrase among audiophiles to indicate the failings of a recording being exposed. To SOME this may make a recording un-listenable or "terrible" but to OTHERS it may not. I've already explained this more than once. I've stated that I can hear "bad recordings" in my system ("warts 'n all" one might call them) and still find it enjoyable. And I've said that I feel a good system (which can be a neutral system) will render even "poor recordings" listenable. Hence, you can of course still enjoy recordings in which some "warts" have been exposed.
But someone else may find a "warts 'n all" system to make some recordings sound "terrible." This is why I have said it will be up to the INDIVIDUAL as to whether a system is rendering a poor recording unlistenable or unpleasant, and therefore it's question of what an individual is seeking.
You may or may not have been referring to my post, but I gave a direct quote from you. You argue that a euphonic system is necessary to enjoy all recordings.
Or that you only enjoy a certain type of sound. So you don't like the various sounds of different recordings, just the one sound of your imagining, and tune your system to provide that.
Great question! I think in my previous posts I mentioned accuracy (flat FR) and transparency into the source as a priority. If no, well, I am certainly stating it now … I want the warts! And note those speakers for which I have subjectively given a positive report in my audition reports almost in all cases have such characteristics. But, I will say, at least as far as HF response is concerned, if I had to choose, I prefer tipped down to tipped up. Even with my aging ears I am very sensitive to HF and any amount of distortion/harshness in the HF bands I pick up very quickly. Hence the reason speakers like B&W are literally unlistenable to me.MKR,
As someone seeking their end-game speaker, what are your thoughts on the discussion above. Do you want warts 'n all, ready to have some recordings rendered un-listenable, or do you want to make sure you can enjoy the widest range of recordings possible, or...? Do you use "reality" as any sort of touchstone when evaluating speakers (e.g. do voices or instruments sound 'right' or natural to your ear) or are you just comparing speakers to other speakers?
Great question! I think in my previous posts I mentioned accuracy (flat FR) and transparency into the source as a priority. If no, well, I am certainly stating it now … I want the warts! And note those speakers for which I have subjectively given a positive report in my audition reports almost in all cases have such characteristics. But, I will say, at least as far as HF response is concerned, if I had to choose, I prefer tipped down to tipped up. Even with my aging ears I am very sensitive to HF and any amount of distortion/harshness in the HF bands I pick up very quickly. Hence the reason speakers like B&W are literally unlistenable to me.