wht is the difference between good and bad sound ?

To me, more transparent sound is better sound. You will have less headache after a long listening session. Generally, bold and thick sound (in same loudness) is better. They have bigger sound images. Thin sound is OK for easy listening. Thicker and vivid sound is higher end. Don't confuse with peaky, scratch, and confused sound. The good sound is musical. The sound makes you good feeling or tapping toes is a good sign. It doesn't matter how the sound is impressive or has big sound stage. If the sound is boring after 10 minutes, it's not a good sound. However, a good sound system sounds sometime boring with different music and condition. The good sound is described as transparent, clear images, clean sound, palpable, define stage, huge sound stage, sweet, refine, delicate, PRAT (musical timing), etc.
If your sound system has some degree of above qualities, then you want these qualities such as tight or generous bass, beautiful mid range=human voice, more details of sound, correct tones of musical instruments, deeper 3D sound images and stage, more live sound or more illusion of acoustical beauty, etc.

I've been in audio for 25 years. Above qualities are what I want from my sound system. I expect other audiophiles are looking for something similar. Please you audiophiles add some more qualities of good sound that I missed.

This kind of question is good for everyone. What is your idea of good and bad sound? It will be helpful to know for new or even seasoned members. Why do we upgrade equipments constantly? This thread can be a good guideline for upgrade path for many members. Please participate and explain your sound system's good and bad sound. Or what sound quality you want in your future upgrade.

This kind of question is good for everyone. What is your idea of good and bad sound? It will be helpful to know for new or even seasoned members. Why do we upgrade equipments constantly? This thread can be a good guideline for upgrade path for many members. Please participate and explain your sound system's good and bad sound. Or what sound quality you want in your future upgrade.

Why do we need good sound? The good sound makes people happy. The good sound will make you and your girlfriend romantic! It makes people very easy to get close each other. You fall asleep on music easily and wake up refreshed when you are tired. The good sound is something like a beautiful singer is singing only for you right in front of you, and the song touches your heart. Also, you can see and hear (in your imagination) singer’s watery and long lips and soft and strong tongue hit each other and saliva splashes in sound details. When you listen an orchestral music, you can hear and see specific location of many musical instruments as if you are in the main seat of concert hall.

If you have a good sounding system, you will not eager to come home to hear your sound system and crave for music because you are satisfied in sound and music. If you are not satisfied with your sound system, you will have upgrade bugs. If you are analytic about your system sound and keeping you from listening and enjoying music, it’s not really a good sound system. There is something wrong with the sound even if the sound is beautiful.

There is no listener's fatigue with the good sound. I get easily tired when the sound is thin because I (my brain) try to hard to catch/listen the sound. The good sound will come to you. You don't need to concentrate or anxious to listen the sound. With the good sound you will just relax without much effort to catch the sound. Thin sound isn't easy for your brain. it's opposite. Thin sound is OK for background music at the bookstore or market.

Thin sound can't be match with a powered sub-woofer. The main speakers' sound will wash off easily with the powered-sub. Naturally, high and mid freq. stand out better with a powered-sub. Many audiophiles don't want the powered sub. because they want cleaner (but thin) sound. Without sufficient low freq., people will never musically or sonically satisfied. Again, if you are not satisfied, you has a upgrade bugs.

If main LR speakers are normal phase, the phase of powered-sub will be 180 degree. I don't want powerful sound waves hit me directly. Let super low freq. waves come from everywhere. This way I can set the volume of powered-sub much higher. It's much more enjoyable.