Seems the ones who do like transparency,accuracy,dynamics and impact are stuck with smooth and forgiving......starting to make sense now.
All the more reason to listen before buying.....anymore my purchases will only be with a 30 day satisfaction return policy. And also need to give a closer look at the ‘not well accepted’ reviews!
Thanks Pavel.......I think this was a little epiphany!
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Plenty of transparent and accurate amplifiers out there. Just that the audio press fawn over the ones that aren't!
It would appear nothing was done wrong on WS1. Just some prefer a very slightly less accurate amplifier.
As Pavel said "This is in agreement with my long term experience – very transparent audio components with highest dynamic range are usually not preferred by listening, especially if the music sound material is not technically perfect."
It would be interesting with better source material
It would be interesting with better source material
Yep.....but this is a perfect example of a more correct setup and a sub par recording sounding worse (for most people)
on the other hand some (myself included) heard the dynamics and saw past the recording quality.
on the other hand some (myself included) heard the dynamics and saw past the recording quality.
Too many variables in the listening set up, mine was laptop through Grados which have some large peaks, my tinnitus was aggravated by the strident brass which was probably already distorting, your setup may have smoothed the presentation, there is no way of knowing.
Yes that was the epiphany 🙂
It’s all good Matt.....it was my shop setup and my ears were full of sawdust.
You fellers are funny 😉
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I have similar experience, as in this test, from the past, when I built different preamp with similar BW (about 1MHz) which was extremely detailed and revealing. Putting and additional LP filter at the input (100kHz/-3dB) made the sound "smooth", however much less revealing and with less impact. It seems that even small linear changes in the transfer function may be quite audible and after some training detectable even in the ABX.
I will not follow-you totally on those conclusions.
My 2 ways horn big system, limited at 16KHz, has a lot more "impact" and is a lot more 'revealing' than my poor little KEF LS 50 wireless that goes up flat ? to 40KHz.
My actual CFA amplifier for medium/treble is very fast, and bandwidth limited at hf with its input filter. The filter remove artificial "hifi" shining, and some kind of distortion, making percussion (drums and specially cymbals) lot more natural, strong and, strangely, more 'percussive': i don't feel any microdynamic lost in the way once filtered. It is more like you have removed a cigaret paper curtain in the path.
Last, as an ex sound engineer, listening to my own past work, it seems that the losses of treble that age has caused to my audition has allowed-me to be a lot more sensitive in the little details of production. My cymbals are a lot better at the end of my career, tending to remove trebles, than at its beginning where I tried to add as much as possible.
As an example, on the Kef, there is an optional delay to put their two ways in acoustic phase at their crossing frequency. Little change on the response curve, around their crossing frequency, little change on the tonal balance, lot of change on the "impact" and 'separation' between instruments (attacks).
My big two ways system (plus big sub) has been carefully 'time ' aligned from the start.
I draw no general conclusion, but have some personal ideas about all this.
The importance of the slew rate of the amps, even if the signal does not solicit-it, the influence of their dynamic transfer characteristic (VFA compressive, CFA expansive) etc.
Just my two cents. Still trying to find explanations.
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Thank you. Human perception is a very complex issue, relating aspects of measured performance to it has been very difficult for me. My curiosity was not about which part is better or worse, but more about relevant aspects to note which makes perceptible difference when distortion is already very low.
Sorry my confusion made you do extra unfruitful work, fortunately Jan straighten me out. I was hands off EE stuff and left this hobby alone for 30+ years doing other things.
I'm guessing that Dan didn't listen to the samples through headphone. I think I have mentioned to him to change his amplifier. 🙂
I agree. I have same experience.
Some designers tempted to make all recording sound good, pleasing to ears.
I don't think Samuel would mind me showing this excerpt. The text made it clear that there was some randomizing of the gain ranging going on, as you can see each cycle can be different. It is possible (I am speculating) that using a differential circuit the glitches can be made to cancel in some way. I have no idea without looking at the internal signals. Op-amp rolling is not the way to approach these real engineering problems.
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