The Three Listeners
Listener One let’s call him Dr. Detail, likes razor sharp transients. He selects components based on bandwidth and accuracy. Dr. Detail is a “fidelity to the master tape” type gu y music. He wants his recorded music to sound precisely as realistic or unrealistic as the recording dictates and as modern engineering allows. He will listen to the same recording over and over, as he fine tunes his system to hear each each consonant and vowel of Shirley Horn’s’ phrasing. You may find Avalon or Kharma speakers in his contemporary loft. He loves to use the word “speed” or “fast” to describe his system.
Listener Two, We’ll call him Mr. Absolute, is more the “replicate reality” type . He wants his reproduced music to sound as much like the real thing as possible, regardless of the quality of the source. He’ll adjust is system to mimic or copy the sound he hears at his local concert venues. You’ll find MBLs or Magneplanars in his dedicated listening room. His favorite audio term is soundstage.
Listener Three, let’s call her Ms. Romance, loves the beauty of the music itself. She wants her system to make her feel good and to connect her to the soul of music-no matter how far it may err from actual or recorded reality. You’ll find vintage gear, tube amps, and Harbeths in her home. Her favorite buzz word is PRaT(pace rhythm and tempo).
WHEN THE THREE OF THEM GET TOGETHER ALL THEY DO IS ARGUE.
[Emphasis supplied]
Dr. Detail inevitably pounds his fist on the table and says: ”How can you two consider yourself critical listeners if you don’t hear all the detail within the recording?” NO MATTER HOW HARD HE ARGUES HE CAN’T WIN THE OTHER TWO OVER. [Emphasis supplied]. How do you attack someone’s taste or choice in any human endeavor. Mr. Absolute and Ms. Romance breathe a sigh of relief when he finally leaves. They plunk down together on the couch and play some Brahms. Partway through the first movement Mr. Absolute stands up and says: “This isn’t right. I know this recording; the performance is wonderful but the sound is awful. I never heard a multimiked Columbia sound this beautiful.” Ms. Romance says with pride, “Isn’t it great! It took me years to get the system to sound so gorgeous. Do you have a problem with that? Are you a music lover or one of those simple minded equipment people? Don’t you understand intervals, harmonics, tempo rebuto, or modes?” After a while Mr. Absolute has heard enough of this anti-audio whining and offers up a litany of the wrongs Ms. Romance is committing, like flabby bass, rolled off top end, lack of dynamics, to name just a few. Ms Romance grimaces and points a finger at him saying , “You’re an equipment ninny, you’re not a music lover.”
the absolute sound Review of The Coincident Pure Reference Extreme Peter Brueninger p.118 01/2011 issue 209
Listener One let’s call him Dr. Detail, likes razor sharp transients. He selects components based on bandwidth and accuracy. Dr. Detail is a “fidelity to the master tape” type gu y music. He wants his recorded music to sound precisely as realistic or unrealistic as the recording dictates and as modern engineering allows. He will listen to the same recording over and over, as he fine tunes his system to hear each each consonant and vowel of Shirley Horn’s’ phrasing. You may find Avalon or Kharma speakers in his contemporary loft. He loves to use the word “speed” or “fast” to describe his system.
Listener Two, We’ll call him Mr. Absolute, is more the “replicate reality” type . He wants his reproduced music to sound as much like the real thing as possible, regardless of the quality of the source. He’ll adjust is system to mimic or copy the sound he hears at his local concert venues. You’ll find MBLs or Magneplanars in his dedicated listening room. His favorite audio term is soundstage.
Listener Three, let’s call her Ms. Romance, loves the beauty of the music itself. She wants her system to make her feel good and to connect her to the soul of music-no matter how far it may err from actual or recorded reality. You’ll find vintage gear, tube amps, and Harbeths in her home. Her favorite buzz word is PRaT(pace rhythm and tempo).
WHEN THE THREE OF THEM GET TOGETHER ALL THEY DO IS ARGUE.
[Emphasis supplied]
Dr. Detail inevitably pounds his fist on the table and says: ”How can you two consider yourself critical listeners if you don’t hear all the detail within the recording?” NO MATTER HOW HARD HE ARGUES HE CAN’T WIN THE OTHER TWO OVER. [Emphasis supplied]. How do you attack someone’s taste or choice in any human endeavor. Mr. Absolute and Ms. Romance breathe a sigh of relief when he finally leaves. They plunk down together on the couch and play some Brahms. Partway through the first movement Mr. Absolute stands up and says: “This isn’t right. I know this recording; the performance is wonderful but the sound is awful. I never heard a multimiked Columbia sound this beautiful.” Ms. Romance says with pride, “Isn’t it great! It took me years to get the system to sound so gorgeous. Do you have a problem with that? Are you a music lover or one of those simple minded equipment people? Don’t you understand intervals, harmonics, tempo rebuto, or modes?” After a while Mr. Absolute has heard enough of this anti-audio whining and offers up a litany of the wrongs Ms. Romance is committing, like flabby bass, rolled off top end, lack of dynamics, to name just a few. Ms Romance grimaces and points a finger at him saying , “You’re an equipment ninny, you’re not a music lover.”
the absolute sound Review of The Coincident Pure Reference Extreme Peter Brueninger p.118 01/2011 issue 209
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