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Using Bad Recording to Evaluate a System

Once I went to a dealer to audition a speaker, brought a few CD's. One of them was a CD of a group I like but has rather low quality recording.
Well, I put that CD in and cued up a track, and when the music ended the dealer asked why I was using such a horrible sounding recording to audition. (I think he looked kinda slightly pissed. Maybe because the music sounded shrill and irritating the whole time???)
Yeah, why?
Here's what I think: an audio system should make listening the music a pleasant experience. The better your system can reproduce, the more enjoyment you get regardless of recording quality. Saying that 'my system is so good I can only play my audiophile discs' is basically saying something is wrong with my system. Yes, nowadays I tend to play my 'audiophile' CDs much more than regular ones, but that's because of the music AND the excellent recording quality, but when I play my regular or lower recording quality CD's, I find that, although the shortcomings are more obvious, my system can reproduce the music as an enjoyable presentation, and I enjoy it more than when I used to in prev. lower-res/quality/musicality systems.
yr44
tvad
9,467 posts
 
I think a properly developed system can be 'ruthlessly revealing' AND more musically satisfying for ALL recordings.
In my experience, the primary issue with bad recordings is brightness and edge in the upper mids and highs. Do we agree on this as a basic premise?

If so, then I would propose that any system which magically makes these recordings more musical does so by either attenuating the highs (which therefore reduces resolution and transparency), or does so by shifting the focus of the frequency balance to the lower mids and bass region (thereby reducing the neutrality of the reproduction). Either way, a compromise is required. One may prefer the sound of what the compromise creates, but in my view "ruthlessly revealing" and "more musical" (a description open to wide interpretation) almost never co-exist.

If you've got it, Centurymantra, then we should all come over to hear it so we can copy what you've done, because you appear to have discovered the Audiophile Holy Grail. :)

elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
I think Centurymantra pointed in the right direction, but for myself I have to say part of the enjoyment of a "badly recorded" disc is just that. Experiencing the trashy recording quality of P.J.Harvey's Eight-Track Demo as if one was actually listening to her cheap recorded copy of some songs she demo'd is way more exciting than having it all prettied up.
So perhaps SOME crummy recordings DO SOUND BEST all crummy.
The Rolling Stones come to mind too.
Of course listening to Maria Callas on a concert taped on a 3" reel toy recorder is not quite as fun... (8^Q...
jea48
2,944 posts
 
>>"Well, I put that CD in and cued up a track, and when the music ended the dealer asked why I was using such a horrible sounding recording to audition. (I think he looked kinda slightly pissed. Maybe because the music sounded shrill and irritating the whole time???)
Yeah, why?"<<

>>"Here's what I think: an audio system should make listening the music a pleasant experience. The better your system can reproduce, the more enjoyment you get regardless of recording quality. Saying that 'my system is so good I can only play my audiophile discs' is basically saying something is wrong with my system"<<
>>>>>
That is why for the preamp and power amp I prefer tubes.

Reading a few of the posts here one could come to the conclusion the audio system dictates the music source listened to.
jay_douglas_2879b79
239 posts
 
jea48 has just hit the nerve. if your system is dictating the purchase of music based on sonic characteristics and not the material itself, your stereo is hi end in name and cost only.
robm321
932 posts
 
I think TVAD said it best. My goal is to listen to what was recorded, not to remix the highs with my system and make it sound more warm and fuzzy. I still enjoy bad recordings even though my system doesn't hide the bad aspects.

I tend to take well recorded music to audition (it reveals what a system can do more than bad recordings) and mediocre material. The badly recorded stuff goes in the car. ;)
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