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"Air, Extension, Resolution" Music or Hi Fi?

I have mentioned in other threads my efforts to tame the treble on my Tympani IV a's which has led to a number of upgrades:

tweaky resistors in line with the tweeters
MYE stands
a Musical Fidelity tube buffer
new tubes for the Audio Research SP11
new Signal Cable speaker cables and interconnects

Once in a while, with the right recording, late at night, the system sounds very, very good, and although not quite the midrange magic of my Apogess Stages with Jadis preamp and Aragon 4004 MK II, probably some of the best "sound" I have ever heard.

But to be honest, I dont find myself compelled to go and listen to the system and often, the system still sounds fatiguing.

Ever the audiophile, I have wondered if

Rives Audio room treatment and/or
Replacing the SCD-1 with a TURNTABLE

would really restore the passion that got me into this hobby nearly 30 years ago.

But reading an ad for Tympani 1-Ds on ebay a couple of days ago gave me a Eureka?! moment:

As much as the ribbon tweeters sound really impressive, with air, extension and detail that the non ribboned models clearly dont have...

...I am suddenly wondering if all of this comes at the expense of the MUSIC.

I cant ever remember, for example, listening to my Magneplanr MG-1Bs, for example, and saying:

"I stayed up all night listening to MUSIC, but sadly the experience was ruined by my craving for more "extension" "air" and/or "inner detail".

All of this is making me wonder if the evolutionary push for "transparency" "lifting veils" "inner detail" "resolution" is exactly what turns music into hi fi, and if I might enjoy a newly restored pair of Tympani 1D's more than my Tympani IVa's.

Just my latest thought.....thank you for listening.
cwlondon

Showing 2 responses by cwlondon

cwlondon OP
1,210 posts
 
Slv

Good point where I didnt make the immediate connection, DUH?!?! Yes, I should examine the AC angle in more detail.

But I still wonder if I might be happier selling my Tympani IVa's and going back to the Tympani 1-Ds.

Gmood1, you hit the nail on the head with:

"Honestly when I think about it, I enjoyed the older model sooo much better. "

So I stand by my epiphany when I think that "resolution, air, inner detail, resolution, extension blah blah blah blah blah' live in the domain of "hi fi", not music.

Imaging, I would agree, is not critical to whether or not a system sounds "musical".

However, I would suggest good imaging is FUN and certainly doesnt DETRACT from the experience.

Overly hot or revealing highs, however, despite air, extension etc etc can ruin the whole thing.

Look forward to more of your thoughts and opinions.
cwlondon OP
1,210 posts
 
Auaarons

Exactly, we are thirsting for music, but it would be even better if that were consistently delivered to us in the highest quality, non fatiguing musical fashion.

My point about "downgrading" from Tympani IVa's to Tympani 1-Ds is the same - I want more MUSIC, and LESS "extension, transparency, inner detail blah blah blah"

Cdc

Your point about Epos is interesting. A few years ago, I bought a pair of Epos monitors (M12's?) over the phone, never saw or heard them, basically because they were on sale at Audio Advisor for 4 or 500 bucks.

I may have read a good review or two, but otherwise wasnt really bothered about auditioning them, because they were going in my bedroom, primarily to use while watching cable TV.

And guess what - although lacking the air, extension, inner detail etc of many other speakers I have had, they sounded great.

I hooked them up to iTunes with a Naim Nait integrated amp and spent more hours listening to MUSIC than I have in years -- with no bothers, worries, or neuroses about whether or not I needed to cryo my power cables.

This paradoxical discussion has taken place in different forms and in different threads on Audiogon, but I started this one to suggest and perhaps isolate the idea the worst non musical, audiophile evils live in the domain of high frequencies.

But if I do "downgrade" to the Tympani 1-Ds, I still want speed, dynamics, imaging, and clean, uncolored bass that my computer - or even the Epos monitors - will never provide.
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