Sunday, May 19, 2013
A short observation on compressed popular music
I sat down and started listening to some awesome FLAC music after I had moved my speakers to a better location which gave me much better imaging of my music. It was awesome, the sound was great the image was very wide and the instruments seemed to hang in the air. Until I played some pop music that I have in my collection to see how that sounded. The image went away completely and it was basically the same loud sound coming from each of my speakers, YUCK! It is my opinion that compressed recorded music which is designed to only be played loudly, is totally missing imaging. It sounded flat, like I was listening to a board with music coming out of it. After I heard this, I checked my system to make sure that everything was in order. It was.
So, I put on some Dire Straits from a ripped CD, and it sounded awesome, it had imaging that sounded much wider than where the speakers were placed. So my thoughts on this are, if you like your music to sound incredible (not just loud), venture outside of the popular music available on the Internet, to some of the more musical artists that care about the listening quality of the music they produce, not just how cool it sounds and loud it goes. Proper imaging adds a third dimension to your listening as instruments and vocalists seem to hang in the air. Compressed music is nearly totally missing this.
If you are in doubt as to what music you might like that has incredible sonics, check with that most valued and thought to be outdated - a person at a local record/cd/music store. Stop buying on the Internet if you are trying to expand your musical horizons, talk to people, but what you are looking for to make your system pop would be recordings in the genre of music you like with excellent sonics. Go and buy some Cd's or records and check out something different. Listen to the entire darn thing instead of just the popular songs, you may find something awesome.
It's all about the music!
Enough for now,
Enjoy!
Jeff
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hey Jeff, great post!
ReplyDeleteI have found also that much the sound of mid 90s and earlier has a natural-ness to it - that the instruments were allowed to play without being all compressed together to raise the volume level of the piece as a whole - and that I greatly prefer that sound!
Sure, you have to turn the volume up to get the same loudness, but when you do, it sounds so much clearer, more natural and enjoyable.
I know that you are adventuring with tubes for your Musical Paradise MP-301.
I have preordered my 2013 deluxe!
Just a question, what have you found by tube rolling for the amp?
Have you noticed any particular difference between a 6SJ7 and a 6SK7? The J7 is supposed to be a "sharp cutoff" and "preferable for audio" but I don't know (I have no experience with tubes yet) if the difference would be significant enough to pass purchasing a set 6SK7GT on the cheap now or continue looking for a set of 6SJ7GTs.
Also, have you found your favourite power tubes yet?
Garry recommended KT66s with the amp, and many people have said good things about the KT77s in it.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Best,
Alister.
Hey, You should love that amp! Glad to hear you purchased one! I saw the deluxe came out shortly after I purchased mine. I am very pleased with it! I have not noticed a significant difference between the preamp tubes in my listening tests, but I have not been rolling them very much since I found a nice set that I like. I do have my favorites and they are the RCA 6JS7s. Mine are metal tubes, and not quite as attractive as one would like, but very neutral and they are cheap! So far, I really like the KT88s. I do not have any KT77s and I would like to try some KT66s, but I have not found an affordable set of them yet. After all I am the budget audiophile, LOL!
DeleteTake care, glad you posted a response!
Jeff