Is "detailed" audiophile code for too much treble?

@12many… “that for my ear, with each bump up in resolution or detail due to better components, the tone or frequency shifted slightly upwards, making the entire presentation seem a tad bit brighter”.

+1 For me as well.

That is an easy path to take. Auditioning better equipment you listen for what is most easily discernible… detail… it often comes with a slight bump in brightness. I have followed this path and ended up with a very sterile system. I refocused on the music and quickly refocused on Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, VAC and Sonus Faber which focus on the music first (midrange bloom and rhythm / pace) then add detail and bass without allowing the overall tonal balance to change. In the end with these products you get the overall gestalt of the music without highlighted (exaggerated) details.

Doesn’t mean that sound is not pleasurable to many people. Different folks listen to different things. Some folks like to have their chest feel the bass, some the violinist move their foot, but some want to recreate the real thing and emotional connection… an easy path to loose in the process.

Wow, that is quite a range of answers.

I would say more often than not a “highly detailed” “whatever” relies an excess of treble and often a dearth of midrange to highlight details. Many of these are major high end brands. But definitely not always, really good equipment that focuses on the music first does exist. This is one of the reasons I run all Audio Research equipment. It reproduces the details in proportion to the real thing and they are reproduced in the appropriate band… often upper midrange (like much of the sound of cybals and bells are in the midrange… they sound like brass… not sizzle). Many components overemphasize treble and artificially bring out the venue and mastering. It doesn’t take much to really pull the emphasis from the music to the detail. If the midrange is attenuated then you start loosing the rhythm and pace and the “music”. Tilting to the analytical mind and from the emotional side looses the compelling musical satisfaction.

One of the best things I did recently was to compare a ~$10K integrated Luxman, ~$10K integrated Pass, with an Audio Research I-50 through Sonus Faber speakers. The difference was so stark it was shocking (to me… I have fifty years of listening experience) the Luxman artificially gained detail through way too much treble (it sounded really “high end”), the Pass was in the middle with more relaxed treble and a pretty good midrange bloom… made me want to tap my foot, then the Audio Research… I simply fell into the music… sure the detail was there if I could get myself motivated to listen for it. But it’s perspective was music first.. then the details… like I was listening to real live music.