moviemusic
Member
Possibly a noob question, but...
I've read a lot of reviews and discussions about different equipment, albums, the whole shebang. However, the part I'm curious about is this: what are people actually listening for? If you're auditioning a new piece of equipment, what kind of improvements in sound quality are you listening for that would make it a keeper? I mean specifically--a lot of people talk about things like 'rolled off treble' or 'weak midrange'--but what does that even mean? What do you listen for that would indicate a 'weak midrange' or 'really tight bass'? Do you listen for certain instruments, to see how well their sound is replicated--for instance, I've read that apparently cymbal crashes and decays are very hard for speakers to reproduce accurately? Or specific kinds of music, where you know what it should sound like, because you've heard it played live? Or are you looking to hear background sounds and other subtleties in a recording that a lesser system won't even reproduce? Or something else?
Obviously, everyone's ears are different. I'm just curious what other people's criteria (and priorities) are when judging sound reproduction.
I've read a lot of reviews and discussions about different equipment, albums, the whole shebang. However, the part I'm curious about is this: what are people actually listening for? If you're auditioning a new piece of equipment, what kind of improvements in sound quality are you listening for that would make it a keeper? I mean specifically--a lot of people talk about things like 'rolled off treble' or 'weak midrange'--but what does that even mean? What do you listen for that would indicate a 'weak midrange' or 'really tight bass'? Do you listen for certain instruments, to see how well their sound is replicated--for instance, I've read that apparently cymbal crashes and decays are very hard for speakers to reproduce accurately? Or specific kinds of music, where you know what it should sound like, because you've heard it played live? Or are you looking to hear background sounds and other subtleties in a recording that a lesser system won't even reproduce? Or something else?
Obviously, everyone's ears are different. I'm just curious what other people's criteria (and priorities) are when judging sound reproduction.