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Is revealing always good?

I recently bought a very revealing and transparent CD player (and AVM player). Because I listen to redbook CD's and 705 of the CD's I listen to are jazz recordings from ca. 1955-1963 the recordings often have bad "digititus." The piano's ring, clarinet is harsh, transients are blurred --- just the nature of the recordings. With a revealing CD player, all this was palpably evident so much so that at least 1/2 those CD's were rendered unlistenable. Now, with a cheaper, more colored CD player (a new Creek) --- not nearly as revealing --- one that "rounds off" some of this digititus, these CD's are again listenable.

So... is revealing a particularly good thing for redbook CD playback? I think not. is "colored" always a bad thing? I'd say no. At least for CD playback. Thoughts?
robsker
aolmrd1241
759 posts
 
03-18-15: Audioengr

"I have found that active preamps under the... $10K... mark, particularly solid-state are usually poor and add the most sibilance and compression to systems."
........................................................

Are you really serious??? That's the most ridiculous statement on audio equipment that I have read in some time. Audioengr,do you mean to tell me that you have actually listened to "every" SS pre/line amp out there? An across the board statement like that has zero valadation...
mapman's avatar
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mapman
15,679 posts
 
Active Pre-amps do three things in my estimation

1) control volume
2) Provide inputs and outputs
3) make sources sound a particular way

The first two are required if not provided elsewhere. The third is optional but I find to be most useful when multiple different sounding sources are used in order to bring more uniformity to the sound overall. Whether one likes that sound or not is mostly a subjective judgement I think. I can understand where one might deem most to not add any value in the third regard if bases are covered already otherwise.
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,606 posts
 
I feel revealing is a must but its only 'good' if it reveals a system that sounds good. If there is a flaw in the system, a revealing CD player will make that flaw shine. Most say they dont want that and would rather mask a flaw with another flaw. A good sounding system that satisfies you emotionally should be revealing so you can get as close to the performance as you can.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I think the problem is people's idea of what the word "revealing" actually means. I know many folks who feel that revealing equipment/cables, are those that highlight the upper frequencies, and thereby seem to offer more resolution. This makes for entertaining HiFi, but not for natural music.

I prefer a more neutral sound, one that neither highlights the upper frequencies hoping to inspire a heightened sense of resolution, or one that highlights the lower frequencies hoping to inspire a heightened sense of musicality.

I like to call it naturally revealing. There is plenty of information there, but not artificially stimulated sound.
barto
52 posts
 
Completely agree!
I think it can be achieved.
Choose your gear carefully, combine well and your system can be extremely revealing whilst remaining easy on the ear and a pleasure te listen to.

Bad recordings won't sound so bad anymore, much will be revealed of them in a way that makes the most out of it, not ruin it.

Agree that one component or cable in a system can ruin this balance.
It is always easy to blame the recording.

"Hey, didn't this used to be a bad recording?"
I have though many times in the past:)
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