Do you prefer a "you are there" or a "they are here" type of system experience?

What audio blog have you been reading? I ask you this 'cause the "you are there vs they are here " isn't something new I've been reading about this "debate: for years in audio blogs.
For me the diference isn't in the speakers Maybe a brand signature's sound is more faithful to the original recording (B&W) But IMO both "you are there" and" they are here" effects have a direct relation with how it was recorded or how it was mastered.
Close miking results in a more "dry" sound and if they don't add reverb it has the " yu are there" effect because it makes you feel like you are very close to the audio source with the musicians Vs the "they are here" effect when you can hear more the room or the concert hall where it was recorded, more natural reverberation. It feels like the recording has more "air"and you feel transported to the front row in a concert hall or to the studio room.

Foe me a well mastered vinyl record give me the "they are here" playing in my room effect. It feels more natural has more air, 3D, time of decay is longer etc

 

This is an interesting question. Though my response may seem incongruous at first, having followed the SH forums for some time I can now definitely state that the correct response is "the Beatles."

 

I'm not sure what the OP heard but my old SF are capable of transporting me there or transporting them here, depending on the recording.

Depending on the recording, I wan to hear what they wanted me to hear. If there are ambient queues that should transport me there, then I want to hear them and be transported there. If it is a dry studio recording then I want them here, or mixed front to back based on whatever ambience that as added during mastering.

I wouldn't want a system to homogenize all music to one or the other.

 

I don't think a system can homogenize all music...unless it's so p**-poor it can't even reproduce the sounds of the worst recording you have.

It can, however, "make the speakers go away". Haven't done that in some time now; I should leave a stack of music by the door, in case I find a nearby listening opportunity to do that. My neighbor says my other neighbor has such a setup...

 

That is unfortunate but the music I listen to is recorded under nearly ideal conditions.

Amen.

 

Unfortunately the most expensive room compensation software on the market is still someone's interpretation of how your room should sound.

A perfectly flat frequency response at your ears and your listening position does not sound very pleasing.

 

True to an extent, but this sort of technology has taken a huge leap forward with the BeoLab 90, which are the speakers I own — @Kal Rubinson will know, as he reviewed them for Stereophile at the end of last year.

 

I prefer when the speakers "disappear", for whatever that is worth. But, depending on the style of music, sometimes I like to feel as though I am in the recording studio, while other times I prefer that massive, fill the room sound. All depends

 

"they are here"

in my sound room, as I said before I bring dead people back to life!


sean

 

I would restate that as:
"The most expensive room compensation software on the market is just your interpretation of how your room should sound."

True but a perfectly flat FR is not the desired target.

 

The target is sound that is both realistic and satisfying. It doesn't have to be completely "accurate", but you do have to like it.

 

When I engineer music I typically go for a "they are here" sort of style

 

I like "they are here." I want the feeling/sensation the band/performer is right in my room with me playing live.

 

I agree it depends on the recording. For "Bullet The Blue Sky (live)" I want to physically feel The Edge's guitar solo just like I did a few weeks ago at a U2 concert.

For the Sgt Pepper demos I want to feel like the Beatles are in my living room.

 

It occurred to me just the other day as I was listening, experimenting, and getting used to my new Tavish Design Adagio phono preamp, that the volume at lower levels produced a "they are here" (in my room, in front of me) perception, but at some point when raising the volume level this changes to a "I am there" perception (immersed in the performance). Yep, my system does it all!

 

Very astute of you.

You're on your way.

To getting Closer to The Music.

That built the 21st Century.

Wherever you go, there you are.

And so are the Beatles.

Congratulations on bridging this false dichotomy of You Are There vs. They are Here.

You're Where You Need to Be.

Acknowledging the Beatles like you so bravely and courageously did.

 

Thank you for the emphasis on hearing whatever is on the master tape-"whether good, bad, or indifferent."

Not to make this an analog vs. digital thing...but would digital software help this...as much...as listening via an analog format?

"I want to hear what was on the master tape."

 

That is a very interesting question — since my speakers are digital, even listening to vinyl though them does not offer a fully analogue experience. That said, CD has always been my favourite format, due to its convenience and lack of surface noise. With regard to sound quality, I'm neutral between vinyl and CD: one can easily outclass the other, but it depends on the mastering (and in the case of vinyl, the pressing) more than the format per se.

 

For 20 years plus I have had my speakers set a either side of my HiFi about two foot apart, then at the start of this year I got my old Sony TA F240 amp down from the attic, this amp can have two sets of speakers connected to it. I put one set at either side of me, (3 o'clock and 9 o'clock position), just over arms length from me and at head height, the second set I put in front of me, (10:30 and 1:30 position), again at head height, but about 3 times the distance from me (compared to the first set). The difference was amazing, so good to get the full effect of stereo sound, and it's like I had been listening to music in B&W until then, and now its so full of colour, and it's a bit trippy, and when I let others experience it, they are blown away. One thing that I noticed immediately, is the panning of drums on certain albums, which can alter the effect of the album so much to me that I've had to connect a second CD player to my amp, with the channels swapped. I like to hear the drums panned so that it feels like I am behind the kit, with hi-hat from the left speaker, ride cymbal from the right, etc., and this gives me the impression that the group is here with me. When the drums are panned the opposite way, the music doesn't sound right to me. Two of my favourite albums for good drum panning; South Of Heaven, and Moving Pictures.

 

Which is why it's an interpretation! A curve is always a swag and I

No doubt those speakers sound absolutely stunning and state of the art. I love their design, congrats!
They will still require lots of effort to sound their best because there is not a room correction software that exists that can interpret your personal sound preferences- the resulting response curve they generate is the result of someones idea of how they should sound and most likely will not be the same as yours.
I have not heard an auto DSP to date that came close to what I like- some are closer than others.
However you do have an extensive range of adjustments to help you get there. Unless you are satisfied with the current sound.
If I had those speakers I would use my RTA software and take response measurements at the listening position- and make sure there are no exaggerated peaks or plateaus in the response- then tune by ear- gradually over time.
My car system has an extensive DSP processor that controls crossover, crossover slope, 32 band L/R EQ and individual driver levels.
It took me nearly (4) years of work to get it to sound perfect!
Get your hands dirty- those speakers are worth the effort!

 

Most room compensation software systems measure the room and then generate their version of a pleasing response curve, no? This curve is the result of someones's interpretation of how your speakers should sound, not yours. The speaker designer generates a target curve for the DSP to achieve after measuring the room response. The results are often significantly flawed.
Of course you have the opportunity to manually tune, but getting it right takes knowledge, patience and effort- unless you aren't that particular.

 

Many of them permit the user to impose his will.

I do not understand this. Most speaker designers these days still do not get involved in end-user DSP.

Let's ignore the latter and say that those with sufficient interest gain the knowledge through patience and effort or hire someone to help.

 

I prefer 'live/alive'.

Honest & real sounding.

 

In the context of a live recording I want to feel I am there. For studio recordings it depends on what the was intended by those who produced it.

 

I don't really understand the original question as its worded, but I grade music on how closely it sounds like real music vs. how close it comes to what the producer heard in the booth. Is that "they are here?"