You have to consider, the music that you are reproducing already has a lot of distortion, introduced on each and every stage of its production, to every single instrument, with an assortment of tools (compressors, EQs, time and dynamic based effects, etc).Okay.
But do you not agree that high quality studio valve gear, be it mikes, preamps or whatever are just adding the very same distortion?
Why is it so wrong in playback. I get that it's not "Hifi", but not much different from changing EQ surely? Both are changing the sound of the recording as the engineer intended it.
Very true but not seen very often in todays market, they all want their designs to have a voice, one that pleases them and hopefully many customers.It is quite possible to design tube amps whose distortion is inaudible. Output impedance impacts though might be a different issue
That's all well and good, there is no right or wrong for your taste.Whatever. I am optimising the playback sound to my taste, on my own system. No right or wrong actually. Personally, I reckon if you believe that its wrong to change the recording then you shouldn't change EQ either. Room aside... My opinion.
Agreed. Absolutely.Very true but not seen very often in todays market, they all want their designs to have a voice, one that pleases them and hopefully many customers.
That's all well and good, there is no right or wrong for your taste.
But to use your own food analogy, what if the chief uses too much salt or pepper.
When I go out I ask for my steak to be very lightly seasoned or not at all. I'll fix it my way.
Same for my audio, I want my gear to be neutral, I can EQ it any way I like then.
My only thought is 2 sets of speakers are expensive.Agreed. Absolutely.
But to flip it...What if the food is average? I often want salt and pepper...
and hot sauce.
Don't get me wrong. Mostly I listen with my Neumanns but frequently I like added seasoning. I need both tbh. Don't think it's got to be one or the other.
Some people would say the only appropriate thing to do is lightly salt food to taste, or perhaps do nothing. (EQ the room then leave it alone)My only thought is 2 sets of speakers are expensive.
I'd use the $ from both to by the best most neutral speakers I can.
Then use EQ, DSP, etc to season, that's what I do.
YMMV
In HiFi, I don't find that its absolutely fair to call this distortion. Whether it's a acoustic or electronic instrument, its the various differences in the sound of say a C minor played on a piano , flute, or guitar the gives them there individual sound. The sound of the source media is what it is, a pure virgin so to speak.If you like music, you invariably like some sort of distortion, because it's built into many instruments and the artistry of playing them quite naturally. If you like many famous electric guitar solos, you absolutely *love* distortion, because overdriving the amp and tearing away at the lever is what makes many of those guitar solos unique... and guitar is by far not the only instrument.
As a 73yo audiophile who's been chasing better sound for my cherished music at home most all my life, I've played and heard just about all the tricks and games that exist.The question is whether you want or like gear to introduce additional distortion artifacts into the delivery of music. My vote leans non-judgmentally on the "not really that much" as a rule.
I don't totally agree. Aside from a certain instruments recorded for a live album, almost anything we hear at home has been through a distortion box or plugin at some point. It's quite rare to put something through a clean mic and straight on to the record without any 'enhancement'.In HiFi, I don't find that its absolutely fair to call this distortion. Whether it's a acoustic or electronic instrument, its the various differences in the sound of say a C minor played on a piano , flute, or guitar the gives them there individual sound. The sound of the source media is what it is, a pure virgin so to speak.
That's absolutely not what I said, your disagreeing with something that is totally opposite of my statement.I don't totally agree. Aside from a certain instruments recorded for a live album, almost anything we hear at home has been through a distortion box or plugin at some point. It's quite rare to put something through a clean mic and straight on to the record without any 'enhancement'.
We are saying the same thing. I clearly stated some distortion (you may call it harmonics) are inherent parts of music.In HiFi, I don't find that its absolutely fair to call this distortion. Whether it's a acoustic or electronic instrument, its the various differences in the sound of say a C minor played on a piano , flute, or guitar the gives them there individual sound. The sound of the source media is what it is, a pure virgin so to speak.
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Yes we were. I was just clarifying that I don't feel we can call anything that's on the recording distortion, it's a artists creation.We are saying the same thing. I clearly stated some distortion (you may call it harmonics) are inherent parts of music.
And I also stated I dont want my audio equipment to add to it.
That's absolutely not what I said, your disagreeing with something that is totally opposite of my statement.
Maybe you should go back and read it again a few times.
What I understood this to mean was distortion added during a performance or production shouldn't be called distortion, nor should harmonics inherent to acoustic instruments. I agree with the latter but not the former.Whether it's a acoustic or electronic instrument, its the various differences in the sound of say a C minor played on a piano , flute, or guitar the gives them there individual sound. The sound of the source media is what it is, a pure virgin so to speak.