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Single Ended Triodes (SETs), the ultimate tube lovers dream.

Re: The shortcomings of 'high-end' sound

You nailed it down: the "high end sound", the trademark sound of the decade is the sound that wants to (and does) impress, yet it is impersonal, without integrity, balance, and soul. Shows how impressive machine and technology is. It favors the presentation of those players, who are virtuoso with their instruments, and can play with exceptional speed, dynamics, or volume. The play of these performers will really shine on such systems. However, from such preformances you rarely get even a glimpse of what the music has to tell you. You cannot connect to the music itself, only with the virtuosity, the ability of the player, and get the same adrenaline rush that he or she feels.
The other way (real fi ;) is the way to connect to the music. This type of setup will not favor the adrenalin-virtuoso. Their play will be unmasked, without the boost of added clarity, resolution or magnifier-glass-type imaging they will prove to be what they are, you won't be able to connect to them anymore; their brilliant cloak gone you will find that they don't understand the music, and can't connect with it nor connect the music to you. With an A/B test this will show that the real fi system has less in every aspect, because the spectacular performance degrades to a simple performance, where tha player tries to outdo its peers in one aspect or another.
The high end sound requires the "audiofile" labels, specially engineered records with special performers. The real fi systems let you play any work from interpreters, who connect to the music, and let you enjoy it even from mp3, (heavens protect the audiofiliac for saying such heresy.;)

From my point of view, the sound and music is the most powerful teacher that we have, that can affect our life at the deepeest level. Real fi begins when we can connect deeply to the recorded music, when music fills more than the air. When music can break a long standing depressed mood, cure from a cold, or cheer you up and give back your will of life after a trying long day. This is a most fragile link.

LOL, the difference between high end sound and real fi sound is like the the one between sex and love....... :) For the observer both look the same thing, but on the personal level it is something entirely different. For the same reason, real fi is also something very subjective, most personal. High end is the exact opposite, the ultimate impersonal shine and glamour, the biggest breasted woman with the most sex partners in the highest budget porn movie.


long live DIY!

Janos



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