Natural Sound
- Thread starter PeterA
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Ralph, I think this is a very good explanation of “relaxed” sound.
I am not sure it is exactly synonymous with “calmness”. I heard the most extreme calmness last spring when I heard a new turntable in the system that was already good, but when this turntable was put in the same system, there was a calmness to the sound I’ve never heard before. The turntable was absolutely massive and had an incredibly smooth operating system with almost no influence from the motor on the platter. Sound simply emerged from the grooves. There was a rightness to the sound, and suddenly the performance was the only thing that mattered and the system completely disappear.
I thought at the time that this was because of a complete absence of external factors: noise, distortion, the room, everything. Of course, Ella’s rendition had a lot to do with it and was heard as if for the first time.
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There are so many factors at play!
I have a more relaxed/calm/...[fill in the blanks] experience when I cross my hands behind my head as in this publicity shot (without headphones obviously)
Somehow it must alter slightly what my ears hear from the speakers/room.
When you get a component or tweak that is doing it right, IME one benefit is the system seems less 'busy'. But in the end it is also more relaxed. 'Effortless' is another word I like to use.
A lot of your explanation of relaxed has nothing to do with the stereo. More about setup.
Yes its a qood sign fully agree .
Same goes for speakers it seems the noise floor dropped / all seems quiter.
I cant explain it
I don't agree; if the component is lower distortion it can be more relaxed too.
IMO/IME its a sign of reduced distortion. There are a lot of sources besides the electronics and speakers. The turntable can generate quite a bit of distortion depending on the cartridge setup in the arm, vibration sensitivity in the turntable and the ability of the platter pad to damp the vinyl. That is why I recommended to @PeterA the Oracle platter pad for the Denon turntable he was playing.
Ralph gave an explanation of "relaxed" sound. It was not an explanation of how the listener can make himself relaxed before, during, or after listening to music. He could also pour himself a cocktail, but that is not the point.
No misunderstanding on my part... I was approaching this from a purely acoustic standpoint
@Atmasphere
This is what you wrote. I see a single reference to an electronic distortion. The rest are speaker/room interactions. I am not disagreeing with it at all. Just digesting what it takes to get to relaxed. I have no idea what the distortions are in my system.
Relaxed' is a lack of higher ordered harmonic distortion (IOW its inaudible) and also a lack of weird room problems (like slap echo) or breakups in the loudspeaker, lack of early reflections caused by side walls and so on. IOW, does not sound 'loud' even if playing +95dB.
This is what you wrote. I see a single reference to an electronic distortion. The rest are speaker/room interactions. I am not disagreeing with it at all. Just digesting what it takes to get to relaxed. I have no idea what the distortions are in my system.
Relaxed' is a lack of higher ordered harmonic distortion (IOW its inaudible) and also a lack of weird room problems (like slap echo) or breakups in the loudspeaker, lack of early reflections caused by side walls and so on. IOW, does not sound 'loud' even if playing +95dB.
I thought you were joking around. When I put my hands behind my head, I add a echo. I am very aware if I have a seat back anywhere near the bottom of my head. I use to lean very forward when I listened intently to remove the chair from influencing the sound.
In my case, it seems to add a little focus to the sound. Waves are bouncing in the room everywhere, so there could be multiple effects, for example, blocking waves from the back. I have two chairs, a low one, and another with a high back support that extends around and above my head. This last one probably blocks some of the waves bouncing from the back and to a lesser extent the side walls. If I sit back in the chair, the sound gets muddier. With a tube-like cushion behind my neck it sounds ok.
Since Romy/Roman was discussed here, I feel it's ok to mention his last video, in which he attempts to clarify - once again - his "3rd way":
I did not watch the whole thing. None of it makes amy sense to me, but perhaps it will to someone else?
Here's a screenshot of a key moment, where he explains how he introduces "fog" in the reproduction to provoke the imagination of the listener...
My very basic way of looking at audio is exactly the opposite of what he is suggesting. But I guess the end goal, to be captivated and inspired by music, is the same (for all of us?).
Edit: I watched the video until the end and it seems that he has a miracle amplifier ("X") which does all that and more. So we are left with a cliffhanger!
I did not watch the whole thing. None of it makes amy sense to me, but perhaps it will to someone else?
Here's a screenshot of a key moment, where he explains how he introduces "fog" in the reproduction to provoke the imagination of the listener...
My very basic way of looking at audio is exactly the opposite of what he is suggesting. But I guess the end goal, to be captivated and inspired by music, is the same (for all of us?).
Edit: I watched the video until the end and it seems that he has a miracle amplifier ("X") which does all that and more. So we are left with a cliffhanger!
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I too find sometimes I like things better with my hands behind my head. If you cup your hands around your ears you will get an even more pronounced effect because A) you are increasing the sound wave gathering area of your outer ears for direct sound and B) shielding your ears from reflections and therefore hearing the sound more directly from the speakers more clearly.
Exactly. It got me wondering whether some kind of "gizmo" could be made with adjustable flaps
I think it has even been done before. If you had a very difficult room, it would probably be one of the cheapest ways to get better sound.Exactly. It got me wondering whether some kind of "gizmo" could be made with adjustable flaps
I have seen people at shows with Bat Ears.
Hands behind your ears makes a profound affect. You can dial the affect by spacing and location. A good headgear with flaps would be a cool gimic.
So does a record sleeve between your eyes up to your nose. A cross talk cancelation. Small but notable if you really want to sit intently and listen.
I also say a small pod that did somewhat the same. People seemed to crap on the idea. You know, the internet crowd and those that did not get what it was doing. I thought it a good idea. A small room. Designed specifically to fit a small speaker and chair and really control the reflections and absorption in the space.
Hands behind your ears makes a profound affect. You can dial the affect by spacing and location. A good headgear with flaps would be a cool gimic.
So does a record sleeve between your eyes up to your nose. A cross talk cancelation. Small but notable if you really want to sit intently and listen.
I also say a small pod that did somewhat the same. People seemed to crap on the idea. You know, the internet crowd and those that did not get what it was doing. I thought it a good idea. A small room. Designed specifically to fit a small speaker and chair and really control the reflections and absorption in the space.
If you have near field reflections from side walls that cause harshness, that's a distortion as far as I'm concerned- it adds harshness where it isn't in the recording.
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