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Natural and Neutral could be boring ..

Hello Guys,

First .. Happy New Year to everyOne!

Building my hi-fi setup I have always searched for "Natural & Neutral" sound and so I have added every piece of my rig thinking and searching in this direction...
Yesterday night , during a listening session , I was thinking about this and theoretically I couldn't be happier about the result

Here my gears:

The loved phono section:

TW Acustic Raven One
Graham Phantom MKII / IC70
Benz LP
Whest Audio PS30 RDT SE
Mogami Neglex balanced to the preamp

The not so loved CD rom session:

Philips CDD 882 (transport)
Philips DAC 960 (converter)
Mogami Neglex balanced to the preamp

Pass Labs X1
Parasound Halo JC1's
IC cables Mogami Neglex balanced

Thiel CS 2.4
Speaker cables Cardas Golden Reference

My room is quite a large room (36 ft. x 20 ft. 10ft. high) and Thiels are pratically in open air :-)) 7,5 ft. from the wall and more from side walls.

Well , I think to have reached an hi-fi setup that sounds pratically Natural and Neutral .. maybe not the 100% but IMHO I'm not far from that.
Yesterday night I was philosophize with myself , during a relaxing listening session , about how much could be boring this Natural & Neutral research.
It's true .. by a large majority .. the Audiophiles are searching for this result .. "Natural & Neutral" .. and the end justifies the means.
But when you get this or you're almost near .. the pleasure is only perceived or obtained by the software .. aka LP's or CD-rom's .. aka Music.
And sometimes the Music could be boring ...
So which is the solution?
Sincerely I dunno .. probably it's into the Tube world that's is often on the romantic side .. even at neutral and natural cost
I have been a great Tube fan some years ago when I had Jadis JA 80 and Klimo preamp .. I sold them when I decided to try Solid State and probably that was a pity!
Now I don't want to re-change all my hi-fi setup buying all tubes .. further I should be compelled to sell my Thiels too
But I could try adding a Tube Preamp .. just to aromatize the rest .. this could be a good idea .. isn't it?

But which tube preamp?
There are lotsa tube preamps that strive for the Neutral and Natural side .. I'm thinking to ARC , CJ , BAT etc.. and I don't need one of them .. I already own a very good natural and neutral preamp!

A good choice could be a Air Tight , Shindo , Supratek , Joule Electra .. but I have to pay attention to the "electrical marriage" with my two Parasound JC1's..

What do you think about my thoughts .. and any other idea about an Aromatic Tube Preamp.. Guys?
curio

Showing 5 responses by opus88

opus88
530 posts
 
I usually read the comments that precede mine in an effort to avoid repetitiveness, but not this time. I'll simply say that a somewhat darkish sound may just give you the romantic sound you're looking for. In fact, I more often than not hear that kind of sound at live concerts as opposed to the squeaky clean neutral sound that numerous lovers of reproduced music voice a preference for. Air Tight and Joule Electra (mentioned in your list above)will point you more in the romantic direction than, for example, Supratek. At least that's been my experience, since I've previously owned Joule and Supratek, auditioned Shindo Masseto in my system and have long owned Air Tight. Of course, I can't guarantee your outcome, as you'll have to work on achieving your own desired synergy.
opus88
530 posts
 
Hello Mapman: I had to smile(not sarcastically) a bit as I read your following statement in response to mine above. You said, "Yes, but if the system in fact is 'neutral', then you should get that live-like sound if that is how the recording was made." First, I think the word neutral is one of the most abused in audio. Nearly everything has colors or colorations, and especially reproduced sound. Electronic equipment at the recording site, in the audio shops and in one's home all attest to that. (Colorations are also imparted in/by concert halls and even in the open air, where temperature, humidity and wind all register their effect.)Though colorations are encountered either in a reproduced or live manner, there is still a considerable difference in listenability when experiencing each. I don't care to go into great detail on this issue, since it's been elaborated on before in many instances. I'll just say this: At live concerts, I consistently hear dynamic peaks as well as certain sounds of individual instruments with little or no irritation, sounds that otherwise and in considerable instances do irritate when they are reproduced through high quality(and very expensive) stereo equipment. "How the recording was made", replete with electronic devices and the colorations they impart, will not produce a mirror image of the sound that was generated and heard live. Granted, some recordings and equipment will provide a better approximation than other recordings and equipment. This aside, in a number of instances, I don't exactly like or care for some of the kind[s]of sound[s]produced by the recording process. If I can find frequent but not perfect satisfaction by mixing and matching stereo equipment,even, as you say, by "...attempting to correct for something [I]do not like in the recording..." so what? As you say, "Nothing wrong...if you have the tenacity and desire to make it work." And I'm pleased to say, I have made it work. Sure, not without the kind of effort many of us have gone through. What I want most is the kind of reproduced sound that comes closer to approximating what I hear seated at a live concert. For me, that doesn't mean "clean neutrality", but some "natural" coloration. Thank goodness we're able to choose our preferred illusion of sound.
opus88
530 posts
 
Nilthepill, my complements to you for saying it in a much more succinct manner than I did.
opus88
530 posts
 
Sorry if I was responsible for any misunderstanding. I was trying to say that I like some of the natural colorations(e.g., warmth or soft sounding contours of some instruments) that I hear at live concerts. I also don't care for a number of the artificial colorations, especially lean, bleached, annoyingly bright and extremely tight that are fairly often presented by reproduced music through various types of electronic equipment and cables that claim accuracy under the guise of neutrality. If these components were as neutral as claimed, they wouldn't be imposing so many artificial colorations. Besides, don't a fairly good number of audiophiles seek out and use equipment to either add some warmth to their system's sound or lean out "excessive" warmth? Again, colorations are virtually inescapable. We move closer to or further away from neutrality in sound, especially reproduced, but it's pretty tough to achieve absolute neutrality---if that's what one wants. I still maintain neutrality is often an abused and misused term in audio. Taste of nearly any sort is replete with flavor.
opus88
530 posts
 
Though perhaps interesting, all of this might just be a tempest in a teapot. It seems that either despite colorations or because of them, what really matters most is do we enjoy the kind[s]of sounds we hear or not? Of course, within this context, the manner in which the performances are given, the individual's or group's capabilities/talents and the nature of the piece of music itself are equally or more or less important. Some fellow Audiogoners say if one enjoys 75% of the sound heard through their system, they've got it made. How does that prospect or reality sound???
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