Zero Distortion: Tango Time

[Tango]

Please don't tune your system for a cell phone.

LoL .

So, in the video, brass has this shrill to it, which makes it ear piercing and totally unnatural, nothinig to do with real life. I bet this is yet again why these videos portray only a fraction of the truth, and likely enhance distortions rather than convey the good aspects of the sound; but since you commented on the sound of it, I went ahead and said what I hear.

I don't doubt what you hear from this youtube through the device you use. Youtube does not lie. Real sound is just more. So If you hear this and feel it is ear piercing, in the real room it will sound even more ear piercing to you. It is really ok to comment on what you hear from my videos. I have no habbit defending my system.

kind regards,
Tang

 

[microstrip]

And that's why I find them boring, play a few titles back to back and you'll see and hear it. Passages start pianissimo with an unnatural amount of air sucking you in to boom fortissimo and then back down again. It might be impressive to you but it's unnatural, I've never heard an orchestra like that and only one way.

Well Stravinsky also said that Vivaldi was boring and listening his concertos was like listening to the same concerto 500 times ... I happily disagree with both of you, probably because I will never play a few tittles back to back ...
Also not more than a Vivaldi recording per week!

Most labels I listen to have more than one guy and his one set of equipment doing the work for them, they're also engaged with more than one conductor and orchestra. There's no formula or a singular taste pumping out repetitiveness, recordings and even quality is certainly varied with them and lot more interesting for me.

I've spent the last 20 years detuning detweaking systems and rooms ask anyone who's worked with me. Tuning and super tuning is Mike's domain as are digital downloads he can get into with you .

david

Sorry, It is not my interest entering a detuning / detweaking personnel war. I only referred to systems as I think they can help explaining why we can have different opinions on these recordings.

 

[microstrip]

(...) and the whole 'stereo' process many times can deliver musical focus surpassing the 'live' experience. often it well serves the musical experience and involvement. (...)

They are very different processes - it is why people systematically only comparing to real music (this means their own mental version of real music) and nothing else can become as or even more biased than people who have no references other than the daily listening experience. We trained our ears even before birth ...

Real music is complemented by visual and presence stimulus, something that is missing in stereo. Also stereo lacks true involvement and soundstage - it is an illusion process. The soundwave being recorded needs to be processed to overcome the stereo sound reproduction limitations. There are many ways of achieving a gratifying and enjoyable sound reproduction, each having its compromises and advantages.

 

[ack]

FWIW, Reference Recordings do have their own consistent sound, with enormous and deep soundstages, pinpoint imaging, and when called for, really thundering dynamics. What Tang is demonstrating with Fanfare frankly pales wrt dynamics to what one hears during the last moments of the 3rd movement of Symphonic Dances. This is something I am going to write about in my own system thread, but a FRIGHT SHOW is the best way to describe it (at least in my system, HDCD or LP), and perhaps Tang can post a video of that. Meantime, let me quote a few well-known reviewers on this recording:

"This may be some of the best sound Keith Johnson has ever gotten out of Symphony Hall in Minneapolis, and certainly Oue’s most convincing work with the Minnesota players, who sound for all the world more like the Philadelphia than that orchestra does these days … how Johnson got that huge climax at the end of the Dances cleanly onto tape transcends engineering and goes into the realm of magic."
-Harry Pearson, The Absolute Sound

"No one can approach Reference Recordings' unparalleled sound in this music. The sweet liquid presence of the high end, especially the critical massed strings, approaches perfection when it blends with RR's characteristic ambient soundstage, fine inner detail and bass impact."
-Arthur B. Lintgen, The Absolute Sound

"Even by the exalted standards one has come to expect from Reference Recordings, this is something extraordinary. This is the kind of recording that gives one renewed faith in the possibility of reproducing the power and beauty of an orchestra in a home environment, the kind of thing that makes audio worthwhile. Not to be missed."
-Robert E. Greene, The Absolute Sound

 

[KeithR]

But how does the performance itself compare with historical great ones? Sometimes I feel the RR supporters just care about the recording as those quotes illustrate.

I can positively state that Horns for the Holidays is the worst RR audiophile disc I got suckered into buying a few years ago.

 

[ack]

I would say music magazines like Grammophone are the ones to read about performances, not audiophile magazines. It is also true that there are some really bad RR recordings - you mentioned one, I'll throw in 'Delibes' which I tossed to the trash.

 

[NorthStar]

Tang, you would make a good disc jockey.
Do you have this version of Aaron Copland: Fanfare For The Common Man, by ELP?

 

[ddk]

This time i am 100% agree with David
RR are not natural and unnatural dynamic I like only Histoire du soldat,this is the most natural,other i don't like

Were good 30/35 years ago when i bought because was impressive like all the old Telarc that i have near all,but not natural,

This are some of what i have

We have the same collection of now unlistenable records, including Telarcs !

david

 

[ddk]

Well Stravinsky also said that Vivaldi was boring and listening his concertos was like listening to the same concerto 500 times ... I happily disagree with both of you, probably because I will never play a few tittles back to back ...
Also not more than a Vivaldi recording per week!



Sorry, It is not my interest entering a detuning / detweaking personnel war. I only referred to systems as I think they can help explaining why we can have different opinions on these recordings.

Not looking for starting a war Francisco in your earlier post you mentioned that most tune their systems to favorite recordings and I was pointing out that's not the case, that's all!

david

 

[bonzo75]

Maybe if someone has just started off as an audiophile, he tunes his system to 5 or so recordings. Cuddly coo Stockfisch types, Diana krall, etc.

After that you tune it to be transparent to recordings. This has been covered before but some people could never relate to that topic. Once the system is transparent to recordings, RR, Decca, classic records, different orchestras, performances, will all sound different. The fact that you choose a few sore recordings for a first up audition should not change this.

 

[NorthStar]

I'm listening to that RR Copland album (CD) right now, and I enjoy it, very.
Happy First Day of Summer to all music lovers of all ages and genres.
The best is yet to come ...

A little because of you Tango, first.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

But how does the performance itself compare with historical great ones? Sometimes I feel the RR supporters just care about the recording as those quotes illustrate.

I can positively state that Horns for the Holidays is the worst RR audiophile disc I got suckered into buying a few years ago.

Precisely. RR is 99% audiophile crapola. Boom tis bang whoosh.

 

[bonzo75]

https://www.theonion.com/cool-dad-raising-daughter-on-media-that-will-put-her-en-1819572981

 

[bonzo75]

Certain systems can make even Telarc's sound awesome

 

[NorthStar]

Tough crowd today on the first of Summer.
RR are not that bad, on a well oiled hi-fi audiophile sound system.
I can attest to that, right now. Even the hummingbirds are happy listening to some.

 

[Folsom]

Certain systems can make even Telarc's sound awesome

Well, I keep the 1812 around because it's so powerful for demonstrations, but I don't listen to it for pleasure because it's not great for anything else. And I don't really care about the power, but might as well have it.

 

[microstrip]

Precisely. RR is 99% audiophile crapola. Boom tis bang whoosh.

Did you forget the smile, are you being sarcastic or your math is completely forgotten? Reference Recordings have some great music performed by very skilled and enthusiast musicians.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Did you forget the smile, are you being sarcastic or your math is completely forgotten? Reference Recordings have some great music performed by very skilled and enthusiast musicians.

Unfortunately I am not being sarcastic. The 99% was my lazy shorthand for “vast majority.”

These types of audiophile labels make me seriously cringe.

Bang, crash, wollop and out.

 

[microstrip]

Unfortunately I am not being sarcastic. The 99% was my lazy shorthand for “vast majority.”

These types of audiophile labels make me seriously cringe.

Bang, crash, wollop and out.

Well, as far as I know the RR catalogue has over 150 tittles. Pretending that 99% (your lazy shorthand for “vast majority.”) is "audiophile crapola" was very unfair IMHO. RR is one of the audiophile labels that brings excellent music to audiophile recordings.

Can I ask what other audiophile labels make you seriously cringe?

Sorry to insist, but I have spent many hours during decades enjoying great music in a fantastic hobby with the help of audiophile labels, surely mixed between many other non audiophiles ones. My preferences changed along time, but my respect for what I consider great work, even benchmarks of audiophile evolution, still keeps the same.

 

[NorthStar]

Tango, what do you think of Reference Recordings music albums playing on your rig?
• https://referencerecordings.com/catalog/

For classical music listening personally I prefer Channel Classics record label, but RR I like more overall compared to say Telarc and Deutsche Grammophon music record labels.
But, there are some excellent recordings on Grammophon (classical), and on Telarc (jazz).

That's me, I appreciate diversification, different recording styles, some particular music recordings independently of its studio record label.

Also, ECM music record label has few excellent classical music recordings.

I admit this; I too was just a little surprised, not much just a little, like Francisco to read that RR is not up to par. But, I'm good with it because I understand 100% flexible and various taste on music record quality that shake our chords in harmonious vibrato of the heart and soul of audiophiles.

I respect other's music listening characters.