Tim Link
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Recently I've been experimenting with integrating an older set of Klipschorns in to my system to cover the range from about 60 Hz to 300 Hz. I did some basic measurements to get the setup fairly well time aligned and the frequency response reasonably flat, and started listening. It was enjoyable, and quite a bit different. The bass had a lot of texture to it, which surprised me because the clarity as measured in REW had gone down. Last night I did more measurements and listened to the Khorns operating in their range by themselves. Turns out they are massively distorting! Up to 10% distoriton at a fun but not extremely loud level.
Going back to my bigger bass horns covering that range the distortion drops well below 1 percent for that range, and the room clarity is higher. It sounds smoother and less interesting with a perception of something intrinsic being lost, like details have been smoothed over. Apparently those are false details.
This made me think of comparisons I'd heard of chords played in even temperment vs just intonation. The just intonation has a very pure sound. But it's not particularly interesting. The even temperment does not produce pure chords. They are intentionally out of tune in terms of perfect intervals, more so on some intervals than others, for the sake of more musical flexibility, allowing chord progressions and key shifts in music.
Most of what we listen to is even temperment music, and it's a rather rowdy, rough kind of sound. For the most part I like that texture, and it makes me wonder if perhaps it renders some kinds of distortion in hifi systems less important than it would be if we listened to more music that was tuned in just intonation.
Any thoughts?
Going back to my bigger bass horns covering that range the distortion drops well below 1 percent for that range, and the room clarity is higher. It sounds smoother and less interesting with a perception of something intrinsic being lost, like details have been smoothed over. Apparently those are false details.
This made me think of comparisons I'd heard of chords played in even temperment vs just intonation. The just intonation has a very pure sound. But it's not particularly interesting. The even temperment does not produce pure chords. They are intentionally out of tune in terms of perfect intervals, more so on some intervals than others, for the sake of more musical flexibility, allowing chord progressions and key shifts in music.
Most of what we listen to is even temperment music, and it's a rather rowdy, rough kind of sound. For the most part I like that texture, and it makes me wonder if perhaps it renders some kinds of distortion in hifi systems less important than it would be if we listened to more music that was tuned in just intonation.
Any thoughts?
