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"Frightening" or "Relaxing" sound quality?

What do I mean by that?
Not that I wish to start a new controversy --- knowing some of the usual contributors, it may not be entirely avoidable, so let’s see what gives.

Following some of the threads on the –ultimate- ‘phase-coherent’, 'time-coherent' or yet better, both, 1st order up to steep slopes, an so on, cross-over opinions, I have these notions. So let me explain.

One quite well known ‘maverick’ (done some picking on some other well known reviewer, posting it on his site...), somewhere he states: a good speaker must have the ability 'to frighten you' --- his words, and I can see/hear what he means, at least I think so.

Some other dealer in Wilson’s marvellous products (he's around my place), tells me he can only listen for about ½ hour than he is 'exhausted' --- i.e. too intense to do any longer listening…

Nobody is talking about ‘listening fatigue’ actually, it is more an emotional fatigue, as far as I get it.

Now me, I go to a life orchestra listening and emerge pretty well ‘up-lifted’, never had any fatigue (maybe my bottom, when it got a bit too lengthy) never mind emotional fatigue! Gimme Mahler, Stravinsky, Mussorgsky, heavy (classical) metal, whow --- upliftment. Never occur to me run away, get uneasy, GET FRIGHTENED!

I clearly get ‘emotional fatigue’ listening to some types of speakers!
What were they?
I think they had one thing in common: They all where, in some way, VERY realistic, but they also had something else in common, --- they did not, as it seems, stick too well to a reasonably flat amplitude response… ah ha.

What this design regimen seems to produce during listening to keep on making you jump? Apparently always something rather unexpected in happening! Now we do also know what makes us (as humans) ‘jump’: it is some unexpected ‘something’ coming ‘out of the bush’ a snapping branch, some sort of VERY REAL sound, that does not quite go along with the general set of the acoustic environment.

Now take some ‘benign, dumb’ kind of speaker, it has so little in REALISTIC sound to offer, it just can’t frighten you. You (your instinct, subconscious) just don’t ‘buy’ into it.
Now take a VERY realistic sound-producer (the ones that can make you jump) and mess with the amplitude response, what you are getting is this on the edge of your seat reaction. The VERY opposite of what a lot of music has as its intention. (Not like AV ‘Apocalypse now’ kind of chopper going to attack you from any old angle, top, behind, etc.)

Lastly, has this something to do with why lots of folks perhaps shy away from these sort of designs?
I have listened to my share and I shy away, because as REAL everything seems to be in the reproduction, it keeps me in a state of inner tension, apprehension --- even listening to some Mozart Chamber music, as there is ALWAYS something very REAL, but somehow unsettling going on.

It might just explain why some of these designs don’t ‘cut the mustard’ and not survive in the long run. Unless, and open to opinion, that we are (most of us anyway) so messed up and transistor-radio-sound-corrupted that we seem ‘unworthy of these ‘superior’ audio-designs.
I honestly don’t think so, but you may have it otherwise, as they say YMMV.

I thought it is of value to bring this up, since it does not ever seem to be part of any of the more ‘technical’ discussions ---- the human ‘fright/flight’ element in ignoring proper FLAT amplitude response in favour of minimal insertion losses, or proper impedance compensation, notch filtering, et al, just so to obtain this form of stressful realism.

It might be also something to do with age, a much younger listener (in my experience) likes to be stirred up, and emotionally knocked all over the place ---- listening to Baroque music like bungee jumping?!
Maybe.
It be interesting to hear if it is just my form of ‘over-sensitiveness’ that brings forth this subject.
Best,
Axel
axelwahl

Showing 2 responses by timtim

timtim
84 posts
 
I like the term " Startle effect " ... This is a good description. Now, when you are literally startled at the accuracy along WITH life like dynamics, and without distortion, he he he ... well in my opinion you are most of the way there. Where exactly is that you ask ? Where we are all trying to go of course ... Sonic Nirvana
BUT, the system must also excel at low level resolution as well. This is where it all meets the road: Good dynamic speakers with few flaws, and ENOUGH power to get you "there" ...
timtim
84 posts
 
Hey Axelwahl ... a simply GREAT post that started this thread ! Thought provoking and interesting. Here's my 2 cents:
I have always looked at high end audio as a Yin or Yang thing, and that exact mentality served me very well during the years I spent selling high end audio. I found that most everyone falls into either one category or another ... They like a warm smooth sound, or they like a brighter and dynamic sound. One of these two will usually evoke the right emotional listening experience. Another kind of listener wants it ALL ! This almost always comes at a VERY high price, regardless of proper system matching, WHICH IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE !!! Great speakers have few flaws, and there are very few of them that fall into this category. Then you have the "audiophiles" who want the refined taut sound. These guys like systems that are VERY un-lifelike to real music. They are looking for some kind og polite kick drum sound which is WAAAAAY overly damped and lacking in emotion. MAny of these guys don't care about any frequency information below about 70 hertz or so. To me, these folks are almost short bus material.
All this brings me to this: There are two kinds of "scary" sounding speakers ... Those which do it with poor sound quality which deviates from reality. Speakers that have frequency areas that are elevated or cut to make the speakers sound more startling ... TRASH in every sense of the word.
The other type of scary speaker is one that can reproduce lifelike dynamics without sounding strained or un-natural. This is ABSOLUTELY possible. My PSB Stratus floorstanding speakers can make your eyes flinch shut while playing a recording of a drum set at true to life listening levels. Kick bass from these literally hits you in the chest ... HARD. Cymbals crash and you want to escape.
They have the same effect with horn ensembles, or ANY dynamic music for that matter.
Another thing that can do this is my Hsu Research subwoofer with the Stratus in my home theater. When it thunders and you are in the next room, you duck for the nearest shelter ! I do indeed know what you are talking about when you say " scary" speakers, and yes .... It is intoxicating in the very best ways possible !
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