Two Type of sound and listener preference are there more?


In our thirty years of professional audio system design and setup, we keep on running into two distinctly different types of sound and listeners.

Type One: Detail, clarity, soundstage, the high resolution/accuracy camp. People who fall into this camp are trying to reproduce the absolute sound and use live music as their guide.

Type Two: Musicality camp, who favors tone and listenability over the high resolution camp. Dynamics, spl capabilty, soundstaging are less important. The ability for a system to sound real is less important than the overall sound reproduced "sounds good."

Are there more then this as two distincly different camps?

We favor the real is good and not real is not good philosophy.

Some people who talk about Musicaility complain when a sytem sounds bright with bright music.

In our viewpoint if for example you go to a Wedding with a Live band full of brass instruments like horns, trumpts etc it hurts your ears, shouldn’t you want your system to sound like a mirror of what is really there? Isn’t the idea to bring you back to the recording itself?

Please discuss, you can cite examples of products or systems but keep to the topic of sound and nothing else.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ
128x128audiotroy

Showing 8 responses by ps

What does the word "musical" mean? Can "musical" be analytical? Is live music "musical?" Is the perception of live music analytical? When is recorded music "musical?" When is recorded music "analytical?" Can it be both?

What does the word "analytical" mean in the context of listening to the sound of music, either live or reproduced?  Is the genre of music a factor?

What are some examples of all the above?


@markalarsen
"Real is good"

What is "real" when we refer to reproduction of music in our home? Is it always "good?"
@markmendenhall 
"Simply put, if the nature of the sound produced by your system doesn’t cause a positive emotional response, it really doesn’t matter what camp you are in.  My system allows me an emotional connection with the music, if it didn’t I’d make changes till it did.  I guess that is my definition of ‘musical’.  "

Indeed, sir!   I've heard a lot of live music which sounded terrible because the acoustics of the location were terrible.  I've heard a lot of live music which sounded glorious because the acoustics of the venue were at least decent.

With regard to my home audio system, let me say that I'm in the happy camp.
The adjective "musical" is likely the most hackneyed and abused audiophile buzzword ever.
@audiotroy
"One personas nirvanaha is another persons hell."

Correction: One personas (sic) nirvahahaha is another person (’) s hell."

Sounds as if you are referring to audiophile ceilings and floors, but I could be wrong. Maybe it’s an "either or" kind of situation, depending on the number of personas. Lots of variables, though.
Personally, I know I’m on to something if my toes are tapping, which is, of course, one of the most important principles of Dahn Yoga.