[MPA] More Vinyl the right way.

[Filipe M.]

On Quinta, Fev 27, 2003, at 09:12 Europe/Lisbon, Gregg Gorrie wrote:

>
> Also, the end user (consumer as opposed to professional) has always 
> had a
> penchant for exaggerated frequency response ... ie. using the loudness
> compensation switch even at loud listening levels, consumer 
> loudspeakers
> with too much high/low frequency response, etc. Go figure!
>
>

I guess that all comes from years of uneducated listening, only 
worsened by the trend that some consumer equipment manufacturers follow 
to "give people what sounds more spectacular"... Lots of bass (not 
necessarily the low end...), punch, stomach-revolving kick drums and 
lots of sizzling treble, which for most people define "good" sound.
Give some average person an average 5.1 Sony system and (s)he'll be in 
heaven with all that subwoofer rumble and ear-piercing highs, and (s)he 
won't even notice the lack of mid-range. Put the same person in front 
of a pair of Martin Logan's and (s)he'll tell you they sound "too 
dull"...
Same thing for home-stereo "equalizer" modules... it seems they only 
have two positions for average people: music lovers will use the "V" 
shape (boom and sizzle, again...) while the ones who wouldn't give a 
damn for the instrumental part and only want to sing along will use the 
"A" shape, boosting mid-range till it hurts.
Since the human ear tends to adapt itself to the frequency 
characteristics and tonal range of the material it's listening to, it 
isn't hard for uneducated listeners to crave for more extreme frequency 
response, since whatever they are hearing at the moment, even if at 
extreme settings, will sound "dull" in a few hours... vicious cycle, I 
would say...
Anyone in for a petition to kill EQs in home stereos? ;-) Well... but 
then people would have to learn not to put a speaker in each corner, or 
one over the living room bookshelf and the other one on the ground... 
erm...

Best,

Filipe