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Post by Clive on Apr 8, 2021 9:20:05 GMT
I too find my musical tastes have changed or put another way...widened.
There is music I enjoy and music that really connects with me emotionally. In terms of "enjoy" some examples are Genesis, Dire Straits (sorry Jules), Mary Chapin Carpenter...it's quite a long list in reality.
What connects emotionally at a deeper level tends to be simpler music (but not always), often jazz or jazz-influenced, blues is in there too. Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Mingus, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Sonny Rolins, St Germain, Keith Jarrett, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton. More and more classical is coming into my life too - it's always been there but I have so much to learn about it (which is a very good thing).
Deep bass can be great but upper bass is more important, also as Martin described the mid-range is pretty much all-important for my deep emotional connection - yes that life-like portrayal. Deep bass is satisfying but it's more cerebral than felt with the heart. I look for an immersive experience or certainly a spacious one where I feel the music almost washing over me so I'm part of the performance. Getting this to work in my requires care and speakers with the right dispersion - not too wide dispersion as my ceiling is low and the walls too close (but it's more the 7' 6" ceiling) - some reflections are good, sometimes they can be too much.
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Post by MikeMusic on Apr 8, 2021 9:24:38 GMT
The only reason I upgrade is to make the sound better
Nice and vague
That has resulted in different aspects depending on what was added or maybe where the system was.
Used to lust after bass but now I want everything and the system is delivering well
Listening to other systems, particularly Martin's some years back pointed out how much I was missing so upgrading was essential
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 8, 2021 9:49:24 GMT
I'm not one to chase an ideal of perfection.
It's like the backpacking I used to do in the Alps. There are many paths and many passes and peaks to explore and enjoy.
It's why I change my hifi gear so much - always a different perspective on the music, always different aspects being brought out.
I don't believe in perfection, I don't think there is one system that can do it all.
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Post by julesd68 on Apr 8, 2021 11:05:00 GMT
I like to be around row E in the Festival Hall and love the immersive experience. . I remember being in something like for E for Valentina Lisitsa playing Tchaikovsky 1, was quite an experience. |
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Post by John on Apr 8, 2021 11:41:35 GMT
I get where you are coming from Clive around the upper bass. It gives you the tonality of the bass such as plucked double bass
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neiwlg
Rank: Soloist
Posts: 12 
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Post by neiwlg on May 16, 2021 12:41:33 GMT
I enjoy well balanced clean sound.
I usually turn off the eq or have it on flat.
Then set my system up usually to James Taylor Handyman
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Post by ajski2fly on May 16, 2021 15:53:27 GMT
A very interesting thread. Having gone through several 'HiFi' setups of various levels over 40+years and also becoming disillusioned and stopping listening seriously for about 10 years it is pleasing that I have now found a good level of listening satisfaction and I am enjoying listening to music again, not the 'HiFi'. 7 years ago after becoming quite ill and with time on my hands recovering I got back into putting music on to listen to, it just so happened a friend offer me his vinyl collection he was selling off, and this started me back on a road of searching for good reproduction generally, but mainly for vinyl. My main driver in this was to try and get whatever my system ended up as to sound as natural, musically speaking, as possible. Yes this is a rather subjective thing, there are so many variables, how the music, instruments were recorded, the type of music and instruments, and the recording quality. So at the outset I selected some tracks I have known for many years with a mixture of genre, and covering real instruments, vocal styles, live and studio recording, I limited this to about 20 tracks. I started with a Meridian 557 amp, being feed by a Dual 504 and Meridian 508 CDP, into Dali Ikon 6 speakers, it actually sounded reasonable but there were certain aspects that I did not like, some type of music showed this up more than others. My main dissatisfaction was low end and lack of control at times, and also the sound stage seemed a bit vague at times. So first I change turntable and cartridge, and things got a bit better but not a lot, so my first big mistake was to assume the issue was the amplifier  , more expense and a little improvement but quite subjective, not what I was expecting for a £4K outlay. So back to the TT and another leap of £5K for TT and arm, oh dear  rather disappointing things had changed, in fact it now sounded a bit dull, and still I had the same issues. So now I changed speakers mainly out of frustration, £2K ex demo WB Arcs, a sudden big improvement but I was missing the low end even though the detail and soundstage was now great, also it was sounding rather musical. Oh it must be the amp, no it wasn't, so back to the speakers, and after Impulse H2's and Tannoy Arden's I realised my mistake all along had probably been the speakers, The Tannoys actually hit the sweet spot for my but for my other half the boxes were not great in the lounge. Very, very luckily a pair of Wilson Benesch Vectors came along that I could do a great deal with, and these gave me the purity and detail I wanted but also sufficient low end bass, and overall the system sound natural and musical. Yes I am sure it lacks something to someone ears but for me I can put on most types of music and sit and enjoy it, certainly with reasonable recordings and music I like so I am very happy. One thing I do now realise is that probably the Meridian 557 that cost me £650, with the Tisbury pre-amp £120 driving the WB Vectors or a pair of Tannoy Arden's would probably give me just as much satisfaction as the current amplification that cost me a great deal more, unfortunately I made some wrong decisions along the way. So for me it's about enjoying the music now, and hearing a natural/musical rendition which gets the toe tapping, and makes me feel it sound sounds really good. |
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Post by user211 on May 16, 2021 17:19:57 GMT
Hearing the Analysis Omega at a show in London made me think planar magnetic speakers are really good. Better than ESLs, though I used those for 17 years.
So I went down the Apogee route, with a custom made pair of Duettas. Which I think outperform many far more expensive speakers.
However, I'd ditch them for a pair of AG Trios and basshorns. Definitely better. But then at the price, they should be.
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Post by MartinT on May 16, 2021 17:21:03 GMT
To expand on things I said earlier in this thread, practically speaking I settled on my Usher speakers a long time ago as giving me the clarity of sound and sense of performance I was looking for. Then came the Belles power amp which has the dynamics, drive and transparency to match the speakers blow for blow.
These two have been the foundation around which I have built my system. There have been lots of small changes and tweaks, but the general thrust has been clear (at least in my mind) towards getting the best possible sound out of digital streaming. Single minded, single source optimisation.
I am pretty much there in all but tweakery, which I do enjoy. Most of all, though, I enjoy the music.
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Post by user211 on May 20, 2021 21:20:27 GMT
My favourite seat in a concert hall, as perceived by my Audio system, used to be 4 or 5 rows back from the concert platform. Now I definitely prefer to be towards the rear of the front stalls. Still fairly explicit but more of a blend of sounds, with solo instruments popping out of the texture excitingly! Jerry you sit about 7 ft away from a mid sized pair of speakers I would say in the context of available speaker sizes. That absolutely is front row. You couldn't get any closer. That said I so remember that flea powered Tripath amp that collapsed the sound stage and threw you about 30ft back effectively. I genuinely thought it was beyond shit. That versus my super expansive 211s in your room with your kit was just so different it beggared belief. That didn't work either. It was all too huge. Weird speakers those MBLs. Nonetheless excellent. If they weren't, the above wouldn't have been so obvious. |
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Post by jandl100 on May 21, 2021 4:20:34 GMT
My favourite seat in a concert hall, as perceived by my Audio system, used to be 4 or 5 rows back from the concert platform. Now I definitely prefer to be towards the rear of the front stalls. Still fairly explicit but more of a blend of sounds, with solo instruments popping out of the texture excitingly! Jerry you sit about 7 ft away from a mid sized pair of speakers I would say in the context of available speaker sizes. That absolutely is front row. You couldn't get any closer. Well, yes, I know where my speakers are. But that's missing the point. I'm talking about the perceived presentation. I don't think anyone has a listening room that's 300 feet long, the size of a large concert hall. It doesn't sound like the musicians are 7 feet away, which is surely the point? |
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, more expense and a little improvement but quite subjective, not what I was expecting for a £4K outlay. So back to the TT and another leap of £5K for TT and arm, oh dear 