2. amps-preamps
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Balancing "compelling sound" and euphonic sound

Has anyone else found the need to balance compelling aspects of sonics with forgiving/euphonic sound?

My examples here are headphone amps (but the points generalize to speaker amps).

I had a friend in the New Jersey Audiophile Society build me a custom 12AU7/FET headphone amp. I was amazed by its dynamics (micro and macro), it's musical detail and PRaT, expressive power. Very attention-grabbing sound.

I sold one of my other headphone amps at the time. Another one I had broke, so I ended up using this amp ever since then, about 8 years now. 

I massively improved my digital front end last year and although I found a much more dynamic and detailed sound, I had a lot of problems with overactive transients and this problem I have with certain sounds activating my tinnitus. I spent a lot of money trying to get something that had all the good qualities and none of the aggravating qualities.

Long story short, I tried a McIntosh headphone amp recently and all the "aggravating" factors disappeared. They were all in my 12AU7/FET amp! I didn't even realize that, and I could have solved my digital issues (which turned out not to be the digital) a lot quicker and cheaper if I had. 

At this point I realized I hadn't really ENJOYED my headphone system for a long time, and the McIntosh amp is more enjoyable. 

No it's not as dynamic or detailed or exciting, but it's the better option. And I used the word "euphonic" in the title, and it does seem that the Mac flatters certain low-quality recordings (such as YouTube classical music). 

I got tricked all those years ago because the 12AU7/FET amp was so engrossing. 

It seems that certain "attention-grabbing" qualifies of sound can also become fatiguing so they must be balanced with "pleasant" sound.

magon

Showing 1 response by knotscott

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knotscott
1,079 posts
 

There’s always that perfect balance to strive for, but it’s subjective, and every room and system is unique.  Just the right synergy of the right combination of components, room, and cables is all you need. wink  (which is always easier said than done!)

I’ve chased higher resolution for years, and sometimes it just reveals more issues to chase, but at some point within the last few years it all started to come together nicely to where the system sounds more like music with a sense of space and natural realism..  I never could afford expensive component changes, so went about refining what I had.  Unfortunately, there’s no single definitive path to achieving that perfect balance, in part because we all have a different definition of it. It can be a single component or room upgrade, or a slew of smaller things that close the gap.  It’s a puzzle, and a unique journey for all of us with an unknown destination.  That’s what keeps some of us chasing that nirvana for so long. 

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