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Post by dalethorn on Jun 12, 2012 2:29:55 GMT
This is an unusual recording. The playing is conservative, much like Solti to my ears. The conductor doesn't seem in a hurry to get home, but some people might think the pace is too slow in parts. It's the sonics that are unusual. This is a "Direct Stream Digital" SACD and I don't know if my CD playback is capturing the highs properly, but they say it has a fully compatible CD layer - it sounds a bit muted in the highs. Otherwise the sound has great dynamics and a weightiness that few of my classical recordings have.
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Post by dalethorn on Jun 12, 2012 3:30:55 GMT
This turns out to be a first for me, in recent experience at least. Generally I find headphones like the Shure 1840 or ATH M50 listenable (if not always wonderful) on pretty much all of my music. But while this album sounds like live music on the 1840, it sounds dull on the M50.
Edit: Turns out that the M50 isn't dull, it's just that recordings made to sound like live music don't sound as lively as most other recordings, plus the M50's greater warmth from the lower mids down exacerbated the issue.
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XTRProf
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Post by XTRProf on Jun 16, 2012 22:52:58 GMT
Most classical recordings are recreated on the "warmer" side. That's how they sound Live!
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Post by dalethorn on Jun 16, 2012 23:16:01 GMT
This stereo/audio and headphone business is crazy. I can't hardly listen to my $700 Shure 1840 now because there's no bass. Oh, it's there all right - just like the Rogers LS3/5A when you get them well away from walls to reduce the boomy sound. But even then the Rogers wins that one. And I did go through all of this with loudspeakers. Good thing headphones are cheaper, and no need for power amps. So the M50, once my ears adjusted to it, does sound very good with the Vanska CD. It even resolves well enough to tell the difference in DAC's. Pretty interesting, that they can't get a good bottom end into a $700 headphone.
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XTRProf
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Pssst ! Got any spare capacitors ?
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Post by XTRProf on Jun 17, 2012 23:19:22 GMT
Oh, all HPs, no matter what price, don't have the heft of speakerfi. Just in a different class but HP can still sound nice but not like Live ...................... Even Mike rediscovered that when he bought his Wharfedale 9.1 and he's a highly HP guy. The difference will go several notches up when playing back hirez recording. Btw, do you have a bigger speaker than the LS3/5A?
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Post by dalethorn on Jun 18, 2012 0:28:15 GMT
No big speakers anymore - nowhere to play them. Now if I were going forward with speakers I would take a long look at those Wilson Sophia 3's they featured on Stereophile today. Only 18 grand and -3 db at 20 hz. Now on a 4-year plan I could spec out some suitable power amp(s) and all I would need then is 1) A room suitable for low resonances to at least 25 hz, and 2) Isolation from neighbors. I could probably find a speaker almost as good for less, but they wouldn't be Wilsons.
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XTRProf
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Pssst ! Got any spare capacitors ?
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Post by XTRProf on Jun 18, 2012 2:17:41 GMT
Now if I were going forward with speakers I would take a long look at those Wilson Sophia 3's they featured on Stereophile today. Only 18 grand and -3 db at 20 hz. Wow, high respect from me for that there! You are going in the RIGHT direction and can't go wrong with that if anyone is into hirez playback. I had heard the Maxx at hifi shows and it really can tell all the differences between cables, recordings, even applications like those "miracle" liquid onto CDs, etc. Now on a 4-year plan I could spec out some suitable power amp(s) and all I would need then is 1) A room suitable for low resonances to at least 25 hz, and 2) Isolation from neighbors. I could probably find a speaker almost as good for less, but they wouldn't be Wilsons. Yup, high wattage power amps are a must for hirez enough to hear small differences and for the Wilson. Should have no problem finding them and those that you like with the Wilson since you are in the US and not UK. American hi-end manufacturers alway better the UK hi-end ones, IMVHO, as they are mostly in with NO LIMITS and PHILOSOPHICAL BOUNDARIES in their thinking and design. Yeah, listening and comparing with Live materials are always a constant in their design philosophy and not just the theoretical part as in European designs. Unfortunately, most of the houses in the US are wooden ones and not concrete. So isolation can be a problem unless you build a double or triple layer AV room like a studio. If you can afford with some planning, the Wilson will be a better bet although the Maggies can sound very good. The main reason is that the Wilson will have no problem going to 20Hz. Also, if the humidity is high, the Maggies will delaminate and the ribbon will corrode and spoilt too. "Box" speakers DON'T have such problem in the long run.
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