How do you describe sound and thus give meaningful good advice to audiophiles?

Some of my thoughts on this from the perspective of sharing much the same background as Larkrise (hope he doesn't mind me going public on the fact that we both recall being taught by the great Prof Welland at a certain Lancastrian uni) and having sat with him scratching heads over the words for what we hearing when we swapped cd transports in his system.

I'm at my most critical when a new component goes in especially/obviously if I have it on approval and can a/b. Otherwise I usually don't feel the need to get verbal. And in any case I'm a heretic always preferring class music on a crap system to the contrary.

Inevitably in demo/critical contexts the background to my response is around current soundstaging, imaging, detailed instrumental resolution and transients and depth/ substance/timing of bass (and more...) are what I go for on a number of reference tracks that I could play back to front if I had any musical aptitude, which I don't. In the foreground are my recollections as to how the individual elements (voices, instuments) sound. Of course, music is fluid so I'm focussing on micro-detail, arguably at the expense of the whole. But I am trying to consciously react to all this simultaneously.

How do I describe all this? Lacking the technical knowledge to identify a flaw caused by for example a cross-over point in a speaker, I'm likely to say something like "the backing vocalists have retreated a bit..." In short - if I have to describe what I'm hearing - I guess what I'm about is combining the established lexis of hifi, which is there - more or less - with my own perhaps feeble attempts at transforming the sensory into the verbal concerning musical elements - voice, instruments and so forth.

When I read the technical analysis - numerical data and all - in the hifi press and here on ZG I'm full of admiration for those who can do it but simply assimilate the bits I need without taking it further... BUT - as with all all reviews and recommendations - if that turns into a new bit of kit coming into the lounge which then stays, that's the point at which the admiration turns into gratitude. Cheers mates!
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Honda crf150f history

 

There goes SM speaking for 'us' again-I really don't get the snideness-what's it all about?
FFS

 

Cooky,

I had to report one of his posts which has since been removed. Also see posts 1 & 3.

Snidey as you put it - I treat as I find.

 

Your really are something aren't you and I don't even know you -(how many posts to date????!!) I tried to pop back and join in as i thought you had calmed down? There's a lot of forum members leaving Zero Gain, not bothering to post any more and guess who the main reason is? Thankyou, I shall enjoy my equipment and I'll leave you to carry on picking fights with all and sundry. You may be happier when zero gain has been shredded but for me I've no interest in posting in a forum that has a waspish pompous know all stalking posters.

Where's a Moderator when you need one?

 

Everything seemed to be going really well until you popped up. Please feel free to take your attitude somewhere else.

 

I remember a wedding a few years back, and there was a soloist Harp playing.
It made me smile as I feel my own system is pretty much capable of rendering the same enjoyment, and capturing the feel of that acoustic and sense of distance from the performance.
I also enjoy the way you can make out the way some music is mixed, and tracks on the same album recorded in different locations, yet still enjoy most bad and good recordings.

I also enjoy movies through my system, its quite amusing too, when outside to hear a booming car stereo, and have a similar booming car stereo scene in a movie play with the same gusto. My Kef don't sound like a car stereo but will happily replicate it, if you know what I mean.
I guess its good to be able to enjoy a varied collection of music.

As for stereo imaging and such, if the recording is clasical and diffuse it should sound so, if there is location of sound due to production it should sound so, does a car traveling across from left to right pan from left to right with a sense of distance ie depth? Does a drum kit sound like it is behind the performance with a vocalist near centre and guitarist to his right? Can you hear a foot tapping on stage, slide of pluck on string etc etc. Varied miking and recording techniques should sound as intended, not as a left and right speaker.

 

Well you've got huge balls I'll give you that

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stereo Mic :
Everything seemed to be going really well until you popped up. .

Well you've got huge balls I'll give you that
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Well, this is a relief! I'm fairly new round here, and I was beginning to think that all ZG-ers were like SM and approved of his behaviour.

Glad to hear there are some decent folks here, too.

 

Ah,

You mean you don't like people suggesting you might be wrong?

Wigwam is a much more accomodating place if after backslaps.

 

Larkrise, can you not delete your posts leaving just a blank and vapid '.' in its space. It breaks up the whole thread flow and leaves people scratching their heads.

Since you started this thread I expect the moderators would be more than happy to delete it but editing posts like that just makes people wonder what's going on and could even be construed as you've done something particular wrong and are hiding the fact - I know that isn't the case thought!