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Tube CDP/DAC sound: too "refined"?

Hi all, this is a controversial topic and I hope I will not offend anyone: imho many tube CDPs/DACs sound too "refined", too "smooth". Sometimes I would like to hear some "texture" but this texture is being smoothed over. It's fun and beautiful to listen at initially but on the long run it becomes... boring. It's like too much crême fraiche: it could be surprisingly tasty, but after a few times it won't surprise you any longer.

Chris
dazzdax

Showing 4 responses by detlof

detlof
1,899 posts
 
Chris, you are quite right, those " minute irregularities " and some dirt and noise belong to live music and neccessarily have to be reproduced if the facsimile of the thing is to be believable. Only, you find a lack of that both in SS as well as tube gear, as was quite rightly pointed out above. Look up the concept of PRAT in these pages if you like and you'll see that this is an old topic, which has been discussed many times.
Cheers,
Detlof
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Tom, I must say that I am in complete aggreement with you and it is one of the reasons you mention, that I don't like the run of the mill Brits speakers. Most of them I found dull and even the very expensive modern Meridians are too "rich" or "fat" for my liking. One exception to the rule though are Walker's offerings, the old QUAD ELSs and the QUAD 63s. Sometimes and with the right music feeding them, they seem uncannily "right".
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Tom, yes..the Germans seem to have a predeliction for what they call precision. I recall a visit at the house of an afficionado with a Burmester chain, fiendishly expensive, who joyfully pointed out to me the clinking of spoons and every cough or fart in the audience in that (in)famous recording of "Jazz in the Pawnshop". When the Sax came in, my ears went in to protection mode. French speakers I am not really familiar with anymore, but when I auditioned some many years ago I was never enticed to buy them. I went for Quad, the midrange of which came closest to what I experienced when listening to live music and yes, I agree that stereo is for entertainment, but it certainly is not entertaining if it does not sound "right". Blessed are those audiophiles who avoid being contaminated by a live musical event.(:
Cheers, D
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Honest1, honestly I don't know. When did the pawnshop LP come out? Sometime in the eighties? All I recall was that the Burmester pre was a modular thing, beautifully made, impeccable chrome, perhaps stainless steel, bright and shiny, as was the sound.....Obviously they voice their gear differently now. I've never listend to one of their offerings again.
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