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Technical and scientific discussion of amps, cables and other topics.

Accuracy?

""Those who produce recordings are concerned about accuracy.""

No, they're concerned about making money from airplay, which means no quiet parts: dead air is the greatest sin of airplay - or at least used to be. Accuracy has never been a part of the recording process beyond a live event. I can tell you that any time you involve a microphone, - you've just taken a step away from accuracy. I've played something in the control room, - gone back into the mix room and had it played back and have NEVER heard the same thing.

""It is necessary for an excellent recording to sound excellent and a poor recording to sound poor.""

This doesn't make any sense to me. I'm sure that no one intends to make a recording sound poor. But that doesn't mean that there aren't tons of poor recordings. Mostly, (especially pop industry people), are not interested in the recording quality: but preventing dead air, and making the music loud, and having the musicians look sexy.

This is outside the issue as we're not talking about recordings: but the relevancy and goals and idiosyncracies of playback equipment. Playback equipment is very, very, different from recordings: with entirely different goals. I don't deny that "accuracy" (even if it were possible to agree on a definition) would be a great "goal." But, there will always be playback equipment that seeks to "improve" accuracy, and change it to "good sound."


""I don't have to pay taxes to support "artists" who piss on religious icons and call it art""

You never did, nor will you ever. Personally, i believe that religious icons need to be pissed on: religion has brought much death and pain into this world. But, that's another story, what you and I think is art, is not an issue, (at least beyond us): and what you say about not being an issue in high end audio is very true.

""I think you will find that most good mastering studios take care that their systems are neutral, which includes flat amplitude frequency response and good transient response at the listening position.""

No, most good mastering studios, - (which there should never be a need for, by the way, do the bidding of the recording company: which seeks to destroy the accuracy of the recording, add compression, make it loud, and basically ruin it. They rarely have "accurate" or "neutral" equipment: hence the (what I view as garbage, [inaccurate-poor], mastering jobs that are made by that quasi-deaf person at Mobile Fidelity. Where-in so many recordings come out colored-warm, syrupy, with all of the treble and sibilance of sibilant instruments cut. Mobile Fidelity is the number one example of a mastering company devoted to an idiosyncratic interpretation of good sound.

""The room is the most critical element, more so than the speakers. In any system the room is an integral component of the system.""

I mostly agree, especially part two of that statement. Part one is a little strong here: but you're wise to bring it up: all elements are important and the goal is synergy.

Finally, there are a whole group of artisan manufacturers that design equipment to make classical music sound good. SOME of these manufacturers do not like, do not listen to, do not test their systems on recordings other than classical. The intentionally build systems to make acoustic bass instruments sound richer, they intentionally design and build systems to make sibilant instruments like tambourines sound less sibilant in order to make instruments like violins sound richer and less scratchy. I have had manufacturers tell me this directly. They are not interested in building systems that are good all around or accurate. Their GOAL is good sound: good sound as defined by THEM. Not by any set of measurements. Such systems, make the fast, super low, electronic bass of some recordings sound boomy. They have no intention of accuracy.







"Asylums with doors open wide,
Where people had paid to see inside,
For entertainment they watch his body twist
Behind his eyes he says, 'I still exist.'"


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