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What exactly is colored sound?

I guess the definition would be a deviation from what what was originally intended but how do we really know what was originally intended anyway?  I mean solid state mostly sounds like solid state.  I guess that would be a coloration, push pull amps and set have their own colorations.  It seems we try to denote certain definitions to either promote or dis certain sounds I guess.  We could have a supposedly neutral amp but their just is not enough bass so we turn up the subwoofer or the bass, a coloration per se.  I guess one could say that colored sound would be a good thing.  after all, each instrument has its own sound (color).  A mullard, a telefunken, I mean who knows what tubes were in the recording studios at the time of the recording.  Syrupy, sweet, rich, NEUTRAL, forward, backward I mean really...  I guess its all about certain preferences for each person.  even in the studio.  who knows, maybe a recording may be meant to sound syrupy or sweet and then we try to make it as neutral as possible.  Maybe thats a coloration in itself.  I guess what I am asking is why do reviewers use the word colored in reviews anyway?
tzh21y

Showing 9 responses by inna

inna
7,923 posts
 
That's right. But we can keep trying. Along with recording engineers and equipment makers, especially speakers makers. Speakers are sort of instruments, they are more than pieces of equipment.
inna
7,923 posts
 
Coloured and sterile sound is what we want to avoid. What we don't want to avoid is colorful sound, that's how the instruments sound live. When recording, you can never fully capture it, so if reproduction system adjusts for that - that's good. In other words - what the microphones heard is not good enough, they distorted the sound picture. Only what ear heard is good enough.
inna
7,923 posts
 
When buying a serious piece of equipment, in addition to your test recordings bring along a reasonably good guitar to compare to what speakers play. Anyone can strike a few accords. Well, maybe better not or you'll never buy anything except perhaps the very best.
inna
7,923 posts
 
Again, before the recording itself there are microphones that cannot 'hear' as well as the ear. It goes from there. We should try to recreate in our listening rooms what ear would have heard not what microphones 'heard'. Of course, it's impossible. The closer the better.
One or maybe main reason why some hi-end systems don't really sound good - too far.  They can sound impressively but that's not how it sounds in reality.
inna
7,923 posts
 
You would know approximately or very close, depending on the recording. I have a few records of the musicians that I heard live without any microphones, I also have a few records of the musicians that I heard live with microphones. Really good recording played on high-end system in a tuned room that is big enough does bring you close. Some systems sound sterile - that's coloration too.

inna
7,923 posts
 
Followers of the 'school of dreamers' will argue that it doesn't matter how it sounded when it was recorded, they want it to sound the way they like most. The concept of coloration will have a completely different meaning to them.
inna
7,923 posts
 
Yeah. If you want to really enjoy your music played at home, never go to live concerts. Unamplified music. Amplified - that’s different.
Recording engineers have their own f...... ideas, we have ours.
In any event, as I advocated before, the reproduction system should try and correct the recording without making things worse. That’s not coloring the sound, it’s an effort to uncolor it.
inna
7,923 posts
 
The source should be able to extract as much as possible from the recording without interventions on its part, interventions, whatever they might be, should happen down the chain. Happen exactly where? We can discuss it. I would say probably mostly at the end of the chain, that's speakers/room . Playback head and cartridge amps appear to be exteremely important too.
inna
7,923 posts
 
Whatever we hear comes out of speakers. Strictly speaking, we don't know how everything else 'sounds', it doesn't sound at all.
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