interesting topic/thread...
perhaps analogy is useful here, at least to me....what part of an automobile is most important? Ride(sporty/firm/responsive, or softer/quiet/smooth), interior finish(plush/soft/expensive or firm/controlled/utilitarian), tech (high/complex, mid/ easy to use. low/minimal), appearance(finish, design, quality), Fuel/environmental impact, etc....isnt this somewhat dependent on individual taste and how you use your car, how you drive? In the end, they all get you from point A to point B.....
Well, though some of us often would like to believe our systems are providing a true live experience, in reality this rarely is the case. everything from the recording itself to the speakers, and all in between has modified the original performance to some degree. Secondly, the type of music we chose to listen to may influence the frequency ranges we become most aware of. Thirdly, over time, we get used to certain types of sound and accept that as right, when indeed it might not be true-to-life. And, lastly, "bass" perception can be deceiving....few recordings have much in the lowest frequencies, and by adding emphasis to mid-bass regions, engineers(recording and speaker) often convey good bass, when indeed that is not really how it sounded originally....
BUT, in the end, it is subjective as to what sound you enjoy....THE ABSOLUTE sound is unobtainium, IMHO...
perhaps analogy is useful here, at least to me....what part of an automobile is most important? Ride(sporty/firm/responsive, or softer/quiet/smooth), interior finish(plush/soft/expensive or firm/controlled/utilitarian), tech (high/complex, mid/ easy to use. low/minimal), appearance(finish, design, quality), Fuel/environmental impact, etc....isnt this somewhat dependent on individual taste and how you use your car, how you drive? In the end, they all get you from point A to point B.....
Well, though some of us often would like to believe our systems are providing a true live experience, in reality this rarely is the case. everything from the recording itself to the speakers, and all in between has modified the original performance to some degree. Secondly, the type of music we chose to listen to may influence the frequency ranges we become most aware of. Thirdly, over time, we get used to certain types of sound and accept that as right, when indeed it might not be true-to-life. And, lastly, "bass" perception can be deceiving....few recordings have much in the lowest frequencies, and by adding emphasis to mid-bass regions, engineers(recording and speaker) often convey good bass, when indeed that is not really how it sounded originally....
BUT, in the end, it is subjective as to what sound you enjoy....THE ABSOLUTE sound is unobtainium, IMHO...