This coin (no matter how many sided) has many perspectives. On occasion one might be drawn to a specific aspect of a given recording that one might not have focused on previously. I’d suggest that aside from personality (i.e. the audiophile ‘sound’ perspective vs. the ‘performance’ perspective of the musician) that analytical nature is heavily mood-influenced. Sometimes we hear the whole, other times not.
I have to admit that I believe I prefer the sound of well-recorded/engineered music (from a purely analytical perspective). In my system some discs/tracks sound marvelously 3 dimensional with body, while others may sound flat or as though they're coming out of a funnel. Almost all are enjoyable. My only real beef is with ‘modern’ recordings which sound worse than those recorded 30 years earlier – IMO have no right to do so.
IMO it’s a positive that some (often older) recordings have an identifiably ‘lesser’ sound quality. Even if I could get these recordings to sound more ‘tactile’, I don't know if I’d opt for it. For example the sound character of vintage Jazz gives me a connection to the era of the music… I associate it immediately and distinctly by feel. This character lends a ‘rightness’ and emotion to the music that without IT could place the music anywhere in time, and lessen some of its meaning.
A question to you… What is your motivation for this hobby?
As audiophiles/enthusiasts we are into audio but we collect music. …We change our gear – maybe even frequently. …But once we find a great recording we keep it. Music IS the soundtrack to our lives. If I really think about it I believe THIS is why I started to buy music & audio - to keep good memories and enjoy the sound & moment over again. Audio grew and took on its own obsessive nature - to hear everything that IS there. I believe that this in itself makes a point (for me anyway) …that the root of this hobby is all about feel and emotion. If yes, then there is no question – love of music wins over sound quality & analytical nature.
Cheers,
Mike
I have to admit that I believe I prefer the sound of well-recorded/engineered music (from a purely analytical perspective). In my system some discs/tracks sound marvelously 3 dimensional with body, while others may sound flat or as though they're coming out of a funnel. Almost all are enjoyable. My only real beef is with ‘modern’ recordings which sound worse than those recorded 30 years earlier – IMO have no right to do so.
IMO it’s a positive that some (often older) recordings have an identifiably ‘lesser’ sound quality. Even if I could get these recordings to sound more ‘tactile’, I don't know if I’d opt for it. For example the sound character of vintage Jazz gives me a connection to the era of the music… I associate it immediately and distinctly by feel. This character lends a ‘rightness’ and emotion to the music that without IT could place the music anywhere in time, and lessen some of its meaning.
A question to you… What is your motivation for this hobby?
As audiophiles/enthusiasts we are into audio but we collect music. …We change our gear – maybe even frequently. …But once we find a great recording we keep it. Music IS the soundtrack to our lives. If I really think about it I believe THIS is why I started to buy music & audio - to keep good memories and enjoy the sound & moment over again. Audio grew and took on its own obsessive nature - to hear everything that IS there. I believe that this in itself makes a point (for me anyway) …that the root of this hobby is all about feel and emotion. If yes, then there is no question – love of music wins over sound quality & analytical nature.
Cheers,
Mike