Why Don't More People Love Audio?

Rex, maybe so, but try and find me a review of a component which is made for rock music. Here are some of Sam Tellig's comments:
Harbeth - not for rock.
Electocompaniet / Musical Fidelity / LFD Mistral - "harmonics, lit from within, etc etc."
B&W - classical recording minitor, not for rock
Omega "Chamber music"

Either most components are not for rock or the people reading the reviews aren't into rock so reviewer's don't gear their review for such genres.

If it wasn't for the "toe tapper" crowd in England I think everything we listen on stereo to would sound like Mozart or Yanni. Well, maybe not quit that bad :-).

CDC and REX, I don't think the problem has to do with what speakers or electronics are made for rock. I believe many rock bands produce music that is either too poorly recorded to be listened to on good systems or the music that is produced is too loud or complex to spund good at a concert, recording studio , or a good system. For instance, I like quite a few Everclear cuts but, I won't buy cd's because it is recorded/ produced or whatever in such a manner that it sounds compressed on any good system. I don't think that you can make a speaker that will cause Everclear to sound good. Then again, I have an AC/DC CD that sounds great and vibrant on my Vandersteens. These speakers are so nuetral they are not biased towards any music except that which is poorly produced or the electronics are poor. Just my .02.

By the way, I am in my early 50's and listen to nothing but classic rock, alternative, punk, and soft rock. No classical or jazz crosses my electronics and my speakers sound wonderful as long as the recording is good.

Eagleman

Perhaps a point that is being missed in the exchange between Cdc and Rex is that nobody really knows what "real" rock sounds like because it is an entirely invented phenomenon; different for each performer, each band, each session, each performance. There is no "real" electronic keyboard or bass guitar sound in the same sense that one can discern the "real" sound of a violin or a piano. Thus, what one must, by definition, seek in a system designed to play rock is what one finds personally appealing rather than what one finds acoustically "correct." When I listen to a recording of a Bosendorfer Halb-Konzertflugel, I can, if my ears are properly trained, determine the extent to which the reproduction sounds like the real thing. On my current system, I can get reasonably close; on Albert's probably a lot closer. But no one can say that any particular recording of the Thirteen Screamin' Wombats sounds like the 'bats really are because how they really are depends on who is twiddling which knob at which moment. That's not to say that rock is bad music or that high end equipment is wasted on rock afficionadi, only that they may be expected to apply different listening criteria than those of us with a taste for acoustic instruments.

Have fun anyway!

Will

I'm gonna stick my neck out and state that I think the main motivation behind the pursuit of audio perfection comes down to one thing -- to re-create for a listener through sound alone the same emotional, visceral, participatory experience one has at live performance.

Before there was sound reproduction, if you were rich enough, you had the performers come to you. The audience for that concert was sometimes only one person. (Just like it is for many audiophiles!)

I know (along with photographic hobbyists) we've been accused of being equipment freaks, but you only have to read the volumes of reviews of recordings of every kind to conclude that most of us spend a lot of time LISTENING!

A favorite moment in audio occurred for me when a few of us were listening to a new recording of a very familiar piano concerto on a to-die-for system. It was such an engaging experience that at the final crescendo, everyone broke into spontaneously applause! I rest my case.

Neil

That is a awesome question.Sometimes people just have not heard how good it can get.i sell coffe,and its a educational process,they will freak out,when its 8 a pound.But they dont know any better.What would quality be if everybody ,everytime bought nothing but quality,all the time,well broke for sure ,I guess all im trying to say people really have no idea at all what they are missing.Back to coffe again they wont pay 8 for a pound of coffee but will drink a cap every day for 2 or 3 and not blink a eye ,and if you can boil water at home you will make a better cup of coffee there every time.Its the same with stereo the bargains on good sound are unbelievable and they are everywhere.hey we are a stubborn species.