System Sound Qualities that Better Connect You to Music?

would you say there are times when dynamics are intrusive or distracting, too much of a good thing- depending on mood?

 

I agree. I'm coming around to this way of thinking after I would say quite a while looking in other directions - not that those were fruitless, it's just a changing of priorities. I love resolution, with open and clear sound, but I think you are right that rhythm is king. Music moving from point A to B is where the emotion comes from. The building of tension, it's release, melodic lines, etc. That needs to come through. How things sound is secondary, but of course I want them to sound great as well. That's the point of buying a nice system, to get more of everything, while not sucking the energy out of the music.

 

I've moved away from rock to Jazz and Female Vocalists as my system components got better.

I've moved from SS amps to powerful tube amps, to medium power tube amps, on to a 3.9-Watt SEP (Single Ended Pentode) tube amp.

Due to this change in amplification, I find that I can now listen and appreciate the richness and experience full range of frequencies at a far reduced SPL, than ever in the past.

I have found that speakers that have high sensitivity can still reproduce dynamics at low SPL's, the impact is not as great but it is still in proportion.

It's hard to describe, but you have richness and mellow and you have subdued dynamics at the same time.

Often, I'll often be sitting and listening and then I remember all of the rock albums I have and what a great system I have to turn things up and spin some albums.

Then I remember that I am in a happy place and continue to sit and listen. Things are so captivating that I just don't have the desire to change anything. So I sit...

 

Tone, detail, and imaging.

That being said, there is nothing like hearing the beautiful mids and harmonics of acoustic guitar chords through a tube amp. The opening chord of Pink Floyd's "Fearless" or "Goodbye Blue Sky"... that always hits the spot.

 

I too have survived not only through rock concerts but through a lifetime of owning commercial Altec speaker's and legacy Klipsch home and commercial speakers.

The secret is, that I nevet maintain high pressure sound levels for extended periods of time.

From when I was a teenager through now, I have always had my amplifier or volume control next to where I sit.

That way, I can turn the volume up at dynamic passages, like with Jesus Christ Superstar, and then I can back the volume back down agsin.

I do this before hearing fatigue sets in. On an album like J.C. Superstar, the volume is all over the place.

Running concert hall speakers is a lot like running a sound board for live sound, you keep your finger on the volume level.

There is always the right level for perfect sound. Depending on what is being played, there is a maximum volume level to hit and maintain.

When you go over that point, the sound becomes too hard and people cringe. Back the volume down too much and you loose the power and dynsmics of the performance.

With high sensitivity speakers, small variations of amplitude produce larger variations of volume than with a direct radiator type speaker.

Another thing is that some horn loaded speakers tend to get harsh. Speakers like legacy Klipsch La Scala's, come to mind (and I own a pair myself). But the Altec's are not inherently harsh. This makes a big difference.

Now days, I listen at far lower sound levels, not because I have to, but because the music sounds fuller and richer, more soothing and pleasing, than when played louder.

That is another key point to having a system with multiple speakers in the same room.

With a single pair of speakers, you turn them up and they get louder. With multiple speakers, when you turn them up, the sound becomes much fuller and is able to better pressurize the room at low to moderate volume levels.

This fullness of sound provides a more immersive listing experience.

Oh I agree with you there. Which is why I never concern myself with specs or graphs. No analizers, DSP or any auto room correction software.

Every piece of gear in my system had been selected on two points of criteria.

One, how does a piece of equipment sound and how does it perform. What are its performance characteristics?

And, more importantly, how does it sound in the system? An individual piece of gear may sound good and perform well on its own but not be a good fit for the system.

Within a given system, system synergy is everything.

 

Good question. As a musician I say a resounding NO.
Let me explain why.
When I listen to more easy listening music ( whatever that means lol) dynamics are almost more important in conveying feeling. Slow quiet passages with crescendos , then higher points, etc. you get the picture.
It’s gotta paint those well and show the differences the artist was trying to convey.

I think what you might be saying is let’s say a “ shouty” system? Or something like that?

I’ve actually tested/listened for dynamics on quiet passages more . If I want to hear dynamics I will put on classical music. Nothing better in my mind. I won’t put on dream theater or AC/DC.
Don’t know if that makes sense.

I can’t listen to a really forward sound for too long. That’s different I think.

Example. I have a Paganini concerto I listen to where the violins do a pizzicato passage quietly. A killer system to me needs to capture the subtle nuances of that energy. God it’s so hard to explain this stuff.
Resolution is actually prob much lower than anything. I mean don’t get me wrong I want to be able to differentiate between a floor tom and the snare and not just hear sound pressure but an actual instrument. But rhythm, timing and dynamics are the forefront by far for me. Those capture all the energy of a piece.

Hope that made sense for all it’s worth

 

My own experience after a lot of experimentation:

1) Tracking rhythms, seldom done well. Rhythmic awareness is something only the best musicians have. It is the difference between a very good amateur performance and a truly great one.

2) Realistic timbre to instruments/voices. Difference between hearing a recording and hearing musicians. My Arcam amps did not do this well. I am told (but have never tried) this is where valves excel.

3) Relationship between foreground/background instrumentation. Again something my Arcam amps did not do well. A background snare in Gershwin became as indifferent to me through the Arcam as traffic noise in the street. Through my Rega it suddenly took on a life of its own and was clearly contributing to the performance.

All the other things I am less concerned about. Or maybe, I just haven't noticed their performance yet.

For me the amp is the biggest contributor to the sense of musical realism.

 

It needs to major in clarity and detail for me. Less distortion the better.

 

The "quality" you are looking for is a performance "spec" you won't find in your build sheet.

It is your own sensitivity to the "reception" of exquisite sounds in general.

If you find the world to be an exquisite place and its sounds to be intoxicating then you may enjoy your system.

Otherwise it is just NOT going to happen.

Feed your head.

The Doctor has spoken.

 

just put on some airplane and be done with it ?

 

Just fold over that match book cover and use it to polish off that doobie.
Soon all will become clear.

 

I think you need to be in the right frame of mind and be able to listen without distraction.I'm lucky that
I have a small music room room whereby I can listen to my hearts content. I need to feel the music and a decent
system helps but its not essential. Forget about hi fi considerations, press play, lights off and drift away. Its similiar to watching a great movie whereby you become transfixed and forget about everything else. When I was 8 years old
my father had an ITT record player and I remember the joy of listening to loads of music endlessly. To really appreciate music I need to step inside the music and feel it and it doesn't need to be loud.

 

I mean that comparing cheap speakers vs cheap headphone is hard because i find cheap headphones much better sq wise vs cheap speakers.

yeah, arouns 200$ you start to have something decent speaker wise

 

This statement is 100% accurate for me...just add a comfortable chair and a glass of favorite bourbon.

 

Slam, speed, detail

These are the qualities that live music has that make it visceral and exciting - if a system can do a little of that, I find all genres of music are more fun to listen to.

 

An important quality for me is the ability to hear when absolute phase is right or wrong (does it suck or blow?). I listen with headphones. I'm after what I consider a "you are there" style of sound. Where my ears are where the microphones are. In the room where the recording is. Absolute phase affects how the room loads. With headphones that is the room where the recording is. How you hear the room and the space where the recording is. Hearing how the absolute phase affects that is essential for being able to get that listening effect. When it happens I'm transported into the room where the recording is or into the recording itself. That "you are there" style of sound creates quite a connection to the music and recording.

I view being able to heard absolute polarity as the foundation on which the rest of the sound is built on. If that foundation isn't there then the rest, no matter how good it is, cannot stand on its own. Of course there is a lot more than just absolute polarity that I need to be able to hear. I need imaging and layering. I need midrange transparency. And more. But without a solid foundation the rest won't be able to contribute as well.

I've been surprised that some well reviewed headphones and headphone gear don't allow me to hear when the absolute polarity changes. It may be expensive and get very good reviews. But gear like that won't be the right style of sound for me no matter how good it is otherwise.