Does your system take you there or...?


Happened to purchase a Cary AES Super Amp (original) and AE-2 pre for my office. While I was breaking it in, I noticed it does the detail thing a little better than my Manley 300B/Steelhead combo.

After listening a little while and reading some reviews, I noticed that someone had made the distinction between gear that "takes you there" and gear that brings "there" here. After some more listening back-to-back with the same music, I came to the conclusion that the AES equipment does a better job of "taking you there" but the Manley gear brings "there" here into my room in a big way. Definitely different presentations.

Would appreciate others thoughts.

PMB
pmburnett

Showing 1 response by onemug

My thoughts:

The more a system can retrieve micro details, the more it's going to give you back what the microphone picked up "at" the recording making it easier to create the illusion of being at the venue. Also important, the more your equipment reproduces the correct harmonic structure of the notes, the more it will seem like you are there. This puts a lot of it on the recording itself and how much gets lost on its way to the final product you listen to. Mikes, mixing, phase, mastering: lots can get stripped.

I hear what you're talking about. It isn't the highest thing on my bias list but I'm thinking it's more important than I thought. My goals have been to have a system that could do the best recordings really well and still make the lesser ones fun to listen to. So far, so good.