Warm vs Revealing—the struggle for balance

@jastralfu

I guess my point is exactly that. Different strokes for different folks. In sound just like art. Do you prefer a high res detailed image of your water lilies or a more abstract impression? How about of Medusa? Maybe if enough detail is obscured and otherwise distorted you don’t change to stone? You never know! How much of that horrific recording of an otherwise enthralling Motorhead tune can a Motorhead fan even handle? Break out the filters! A strategically placed tube or two might do. OR just stick with mp3.  DSP anyone?

I have one system that is a somewhat older Icepower Class D amp and a newer one with latest greatest Hypex Class D. Same speakers essentially in both. If I had to choose just one I’m going with the newer Hypex based amp which delivers the best detail of any amp I have owned in 50+ years. So that’s that. Key thing is the new high res Hypex based amp is also not at all fatiguing to me with any speakers I use there, some more detailed, some less so.

Disclaimer: I have good hearing but older ears so high frequency nuances that might have bugged me when 21 years old hearing up to 20khz  probably no longer would.

Where would Monet have ended up if resolution and detail were his goal rather than abstract impressions?

There is an easy solution: more than one system. Headphones/earphones count as well in that.

Variety is the spice of life.  One must open their mind to other possibilities in order to enjoy all the fruits of life.

Well trained ears as a result of experience are the only way to know for sure what something should sound like.

And guess what?  No two pair of ears hear exactly the same which explains why we are where we are.

Resolution is way overrated which is why people pay top dollar for less resolving TVs.

Who would want to see Medusa in hi res? Try it and see!

MP3 rules! Hides all those rough edges...but its cheaper so that's right out!