Not worrying about neutrality

[JackD201]

Some people just want to go home, hit play or drop a needle and bliss out. That is perfectly alright as far as I am concerned. For these people why would they want to worry about ANYTHING? Aim for a happy medium and accept the compromises, which by the way is the same solution for analogistas who've grown tired of their magnifying glasses and microscopes. SRA anyone? LOL

For me, leave the worrying to the music collectors who are as interested in the recordings as they are in the music therein. Somewhere in there is a point where great recordings can still sound great while putting a bit of lipstick on the swine fed with our own nostalgia. That's what I shoot for. I don't critique album sonics for a living so why should I go about building and voicing a system as though I did? Does not compute.

At the end of the day, I don't even think we'd know for certain what absolute neutrality is or even if it will be possible 3 generations from now.

Just make like Bobby McFerrin's earworm of a song I say.

 

[spiritofmusic]

When I come home from a fantastic live classical or jazz concert, my abiding memories are of tonal density, timbral accuracy, air and natural warmth. I certainly don't remember if the 2nd violinist rustled her score, or the drummer had a loose washer nut on his cymbal stand.

If I can move more of my sound to the first things I mentioned, maintaining addictiveness to listen, I know I'm getting it right.

 

[NorthStar]

I just logged in. The first thing I saw was ...

as my friend says, there is the best of forums and the worst of forums...and the pointless mental gymnastics on this thread are an example of the latter.

 

[stehno]

Doesn't matter who you addressed it to...it's an open forum not a private conversation. I notice though you don't care to address your own contradictions...

You don't miss a trick do you? Like I said in the other thread,

"Amazing how with routine little twists and spins and deliberate misinterpretations and misunderstandings and routine little presumptions here and there just how many straw man arguments one can generate. In just the 6 or 7 exchanges we’ve had in this forum, I’ve never witnessed nor encountered so many seemingly routine straw man arguments.​

​

Clearly you either have a gift or you’re still spooked by hearing your own recorded voice."​

Trying to engage in meaning dialogue with you is like beating my head against the wall until it starts to feel good.

 

[NorthStar]

Can I first of all say say thank you for the great discussion.

I may well be mistaking dull with neutral, but by the same token many tell me that SME turntables are neutral and I am consistently underwhelmed by them - yes in all the systems I have heard they are utterly cerebral and I respect and admire their sound - but they do not do it for me. Call me a Philistine.

I recall an excellent review on the Koetsu Red K signature in hifi plus and whilst it was described as being 'warm' you still heard the difference in recordings - all the detail was there - akin to what spiritofthemusic said about Atmasphere amps. Coloured components do show up detail and differences but simply add a specific shade or hue to the music - a bit like wearing shades, especially subtle ones.

I think I appreciate all that high end image and detail, but with a real warmth.

I recall the first high-end set up I was utterly beguiled by was from GT Audio that used Graham Trickers own SE amps and horns - neutral - probably not - do you care - back then yes I didn't want to admit I liked the idea of a warmish amp (and I certainly do not suggest in any way woolly) -

Being a bit older and wiser may well have made me appreciate different things more in music - timbre, body, warmth, tone. Detail tends to be easier to notice perhaps.

That sounds acoustically live, with timbre and body, in the moment.

 

[Lagonda]

There is nothing wrong with engaging in some intellectually-oriented wordsmithing.

Says the man with no active system presently
I do feel for you Ron !