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What funny speakers you have!

Jon,

I've heard two systems that do cut it, as in shut the eyes, and yes, it could be live, as in real.
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B&O Beolab and Lyngdorf Steinway?

Joe
 
r-tee said:
No but you can make music sound the way it was recorded. What you don’t want is added noise or exaggerated frequencies which I find a lot of hifi does. Surely getting a true sound should be the first point of any hi-end systems agenda.
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Agreed - provided I can define "true" as "true for me", ie I believe it, I can/am willing to suspend disbelief etc. In other words, to answer Rob, it cannot be possible "to reproduce sound so perfectly that it will sound just like the live event". To reproduce an orchestra of fifty, you need fifty sound sources not six (for the sake of argument).
To answer another point: I can't be sure that the recording made at St Martins in the Field sounds as if it has been - too long since I've been in the venue. Whether or not, the soul of the music hasn't been lost; at worst, only the information needed to identify the venue has gone, and that doesn't affect my "truth".
 
Jonboi said:
I'll be the devils advocate. Maybe you've just been listening to the 'wrong' systems/wrong system philosophy/approach?

I've heard two systems that do cut it, as in shut the eyes, and yes, it could be live, as in real.

And both involved digital amplification. One was a surround sound setup, and the other involved proprietary technologies as regards speaker/sound dispersion/room equalisation.

I'd agree it is rare to find a system that can suspend disbelief. But it is possible - but not IME from 'legacy' Hifi be that valves and horns, or solid state/conventional passive 2-channel speaker set-ups.

Best Regards

Jon...
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How does that arugement work as surely the inflections from mic to the CD/vinyl can't be removed by room equalisation. Surely the room equalisation can't equalise for the recording. Or have I missed something.

Could not the goal be a neutral system? The onus is then on the recording and all the down stream artefacts?

I've never heard a system that lights my fire like a live event.
Can I have a home dem please?
 
Rob Sinden said:
It can be done, but it's seriously expensive.

I had a client yesterday who is a film producer and recently sat in front of the Royal Philiharmonic for the production of his latest movie. His exact words were that the system he heard was better than being sat in front of the orchestra. I have had many other "expert" clients who have made similar comments. This is the system he was reffering to http://www.steinwaylyngdorf.com/Music_Systems-32.aspx.
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Who was he?
If he was the producer he would be just the money guy so no expert,did you mean director?
 
Southwell said:
Well apart from Mrs Mills and Chas and Dave,few record on uprights,so who was the recording of,if he cant tell the difference between an upright and a grand he is deaf
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Rob Sinden said:
What difference does it make what the recording was?
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r-tee said:
I think you also do have to want to believe. You know; 'the glass is half full attitude' may help. I’ve observed the more serious the listener, the less they enjoy and become overly dismissive of absolutely everything. So what’s the point at all ;)

You have to want to listen to the music not the HiFi. It’s a bit like when you’re watching the last 30 mins of an epic film. You know your not there but you not thinking of anything else, your backsides well and truly on the edge of seat, your eyes are fixed on people moving and the whole package is getting your brain to believe that it’s real. This is what get the emotions going and this is where the magic is. It can be like this with recorded music; but you have to want an attachment otherwise it’s just another box office flop.
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It makes no difference at all, this is what I mean when people become overly analytical and dismissive. I don’t listen to classical but I do know when it’s an upright or a grand. I can't remember which track it was but it made me chuckle and put smile on my face, does anything else matter.

Knowing that I’d found a very well balanced and controlled system, I didn't need to get all anal about it. When its right there’s little to do except listen and enjoy. Sitting there and worrying if there’s too much or this or not enough of that makes the whole experience moot. trying to identify what the size or make of piano, brass or drum is like looking at Edward Munch's whole life’s paintings and only looking at his technique.... the emotion is the whole canvas, blood, sweat, anger, happiness. Otherwise you might as well just look at a cheap print.

A good system is much the same. It needs to shows as much as possible and portray what the artists were doing at time of recording. A live event is nothing like what is intended in a recording studio; it’s more like watching an artist paint.
 
r-tee said:
It makes no difference at all, this is what I mean when people become overly analytical and dismissive. I don’t listen to classical but I do know when it’s an upright or a grand. I can't remember which track it was but it made me chuckle and put smile on my face, does anything else matter.

Knowing that I’d found a very well balanced and controlled system, I didn't need to get all anal about it. When its right there’s little to do except listen and enjoy. Sitting there and worrying if there’s too much or this or not enough of that makes the whole experience moot. trying to identify what the size or make of piano, brass or drum is like looking at Edward Munch's whole life’s paintings and only looking at his technique.... the emotion is the whole canvas, blood, sweat, anger, happiness. Otherwise you might as well just look at a cheap print.

A good system is much the same. It needs to shows as much as possible and portray what the artists were doing at time of recording. A live event is nothing like what is intended in a recording studio; it’s more like watching an artist paint.
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The point is your daughter was playing the upright piano in a different room to you,and a recording of a piano (most likely a grand)was playing also in a different room,and you could not tell the difference.
Of course you could have made it up?
 
So what you have is a 'hifi' that makes a concert grand sound like a distant upright.

That's not exactly my idea of high-fidelity...
 
Southwell said:
The point is your daughter was playing the upright piano in a different room to you,and a recording of a piano (most likely a grand)was playing also in a different room,and you could not tell the difference.
Of course you could have made it up?
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Why would I want to do that? The piano is right outside the same room it’s less than 3m way from my speakers and there’s a huge doorway in between so no, it’s not so distant. No one said it sounded like or was a grand. The point is it sounded real, no more no less. It doesn’t need analyzing its just the way it was.
Yes, I’m really looking forward to having that sound again muz. :)

my systems cost me nearly £10K but IMHO its money well spent, i've heard systems costing 3 or 4x as much that dont even come close.
 
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