Rock and Metal Listening Fatigue

[SONDEKNZ]

If you accept the fact that the better the system, the more the replay should sound like “live” music…

I can understand that a highly resolving system might be too fatiguing with the HARD ROCK genre.

I LOVE several HARD ROCK albums, but I don’t kid myself that it sounds “live”.

THE ANGELS
AC/DC
IRON MAIDEN
Etc….

I thoroughly enjoy them anyway..

 

[tuga]

If you accept the fact that the better the system, the more the replay should sound like “live” music…

I can understand that a highly resolving system might be too fatiguing with the HARD ROCK genre.

I LOVE several HARD ROCK albums, but I don’t kid myself that it sounds “live”.

THE ANGELS
AC/DC
IRON MAIDEN
Etc….

I thoroughly enjoy them anyway..

My view is that for recorded music to sound like 'live' it needs to be produced and mastered a certain way, and with commercial recordings it seldom does.

 

[Martyn Miles]

Predominantly listen to Metal, I’ve not had any problems using Mission, Focal and Triangle floorstanders for this. I think it helps having multi driver speakers

Presumably your speakers have metal dome tweeters ?

 

[SONDEKNZ]

My view is that for recorded music to sound like 'live' it needs to be produced and mastered a certain way, and with commercial recordings it seldom does.

Agree.

The original late 8Ts pressing (and cassette) of (say) IRON MAIDEN’s 7TH SON sounded absolutely superb.

But all of the later remasters I have heard sound flat and unengaging. As a result, I sent the costly vinyl remaster packing. All very disappointing.

The latest hi-Rez streams are a little better, but still don’t compare to the originals.

Moral of the story: buy original vinyl pressings, wherever possible. Not a guarantee of success, but certainly your best shot IMHO!

 

[SONDEKNZ]

If you accept the fact that the better the system, the more the replay should sound like “live” music…

I know some don’t believe that “live” sound is the reference point for quality replay.

Fair enough - and YMMV - but without it, we don’t have a reference point at all.

That is to say, if solo piano is supposed to sound like anything at all… it’s a live solo piano.

This is where ELECTRONICA replay is so highly subjective. Because there is no reference point in reality… unless it is a “live” DAFT PUNK or GARY NUMAN album.

Yet still the correct sound of the “crunch” and “texture” of an authentic analog synthesizer is highly distinctive, IMHO…

 

[gavreid]

Moral of the story: buy original vinyl pressings, wherever possible. Not a guarantee of success, but certainly your best shot IMHO!

That's right. There are exceptions as you say, cheap vinyl and cost savings being the main culprits. Bowie's Heroes is a well known example when RCA's UK pressing plants were running a full capacity pressing Elvis records after he died in 77 so the first copies of Heroes were pressed in Rome and are only so, so.

 

[foxwelljsly]

My view is that for recorded music to sound like 'live' it needs to be produced and mastered a certain way, and with commercial recordings it seldom does.

For music to sound ‘live’ at home, the SPL should be level matched in-room to the performance. It would be fatiguing to always listen to any rock music at such volumes. That said, it can be fun.

 

[camverton]

For music to sound ‘live’ at home, the SPL should be level matched in-room to the performance. It would be fatiguing to always listen to any rock music at such volumes. That said, it can be fun.

That’s interesting; in a smaller space I need to scale back the volume otherwise I would find it overwhelming and very unpleasant. With less actual volume than the original event I get the illusion that The volume is that which I would have heard live.

 

[Graham67]

If you accept the fact that the better the system, the more the replay should sound like “live” music…

I can understand that a highly resolving system might be too fatiguing with the HARD ROCK genre.

I LOVE several HARD ROCK albums, but I don’t kid myself that it sounds “live”.

THE ANGELS
AC/DC
IRON MAIDEN
Etc….

I thoroughly enjoy them anyway..

I saw the Angels in a local RSL in the eighties. Great live band and what a rocking night, the whole place was vibrating. And the whole audience sang along to "Am I ever gonna see your face again?" I'm sure you know what i mean!

 

[paulfromcamden]

This is where ELECTRONICA replay is so highly subjective. Because there is no reference point in reality…

At which point you can just decide if it sounds nice or not and stop worrying : )

 

[SONDEKNZ]

I saw the Angels in a local RSL in the eighties. Great live band and what a rocking night, the whole place was vibrating. And the whole audience sang along to "Am I ever gonna see your face again?" I'm sure you know what i mean!

Yeah, I watched Doc and the Boys perform a free New Years Eve concert at the outdoor amphitheatre in MT MAUGANUI, NEW ZEALAND - in the late 8Ts.

Until that time, I had no idea that Doc was such a towering giant!

The were a tight old crew, and I have fond memories of the lead guitarist... He REALLY nailed it!

Such a great concert...

Good times!

 

[1964meb]

If the music is that fatiguing then something is amiss .... surely?? I found my CDX was so strident that I changed the music I was listening to!

This fatigue was wiped out when I changed my digital source.

Is this a similar thing??

 

[darrenyeats]

Listening to Mirror Ball (Neil Young) CD for first time in years. Brash but enjoyable.