TAD 2201 Speakers

[monkish54]

We used to demo this album because it subjectively sounded great. Objectively, it is not great. But subjectively, it sounded great.

That's why I don't mind DRC so much. I know it's objectively "bad", but if they sound so great subjectively, I'm not going to lose any sleep.

I think you are over simplifying it. Sure it sounded good to me, but that is because it's what I'm used to. It's all I knew. A year ago, I thought Adele made quality recordings. I can see now that she does not.

"If God had not created honey, men would say figs are sweeter."

Listen to the two different versions of the MJ songs I have. They sound very different. Even if you did like the loud ones better (which would probably surprise all of us) it is undeniable that the recordings without DRC are more accurate. Granteed (HEHE) they might not be as accurate as Krall etc., but it is the nature of DRC to eliminate accuracy. To clarify, I'm not saying without DRC Adele, Fun., and Kayne West's records will sound like Krall's, but that a record/track with more DRC is less accurate than the same track with less DRC.

IOW, I would rather listen to a DR8 album that sounded great to me subjectively, than listen to a DR20 album that sounded bad to me.

Sure. I'd rather not listen to a track with 8db DR because, unless it's ridiculously loud music, the waveform has been manipulated in a way that reduces accuracy, and therefore quality.

I am all about accuracy. That's the reason I bought a HI-FI system.

Don't get me wrong, I still listen to some of the poor recordings I have (some of which have fairly high DR). when I'm doing something and I want background music or I'm just in the mood I'll toss one onto the record player (my PC playlist. LOL), but when I sit down to listen to music critically/for pleasure, I probably wont be listening to much Rihanna.

I'm not going to lose any sleep

I lose sleep over it. I lose sleep because I know that some of my tracks could be higher quality if only Sony and Universal wouldn't hire people to intentionally mess them up.

 

[monkish54]

Look at this (read the comment):

DR Database

It's unacceptable!





Also....this

 

[PENG]

That's why I don't mind DRC so much. I know it's objectively "bad", but if they sound so great subjectively, I'm not going to lose any sleep.

Yo-Yo's Ennio is not a good recording IMO but I would have bought it anyway because the music is so good. His Silk Road Journeys is much better in terms of sound quality, not sure about the DR. The music is not as likable, again just IMO. So yes, I always put weights on the music contents, not just sound quality.

 

[cpp]

I found this comment on a site, 'Muddy Waters' Folk Singer it rated 15 overall, 17 on its highest track


A question for Monk... I tried to download that file into Foobar2000, but windows 7 could not open the, foo_dynamic_range.dll application
any suggestions

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Yo-Yo's Ennio is not a good recording IMO but I would have bought it anyway because the music is so good. His Silk Road Journeys is much better in terms of sound quality, not sure about the DR. The music is not as likable, again just IMO. So yes, I always put weights on the music contents, not just sound quality.

It's like watching a movie you absolutely love (that doesn't have the best SQ/PQ) versus watching a movie you don't care about (that has the best PQ/SQ).

 

[monkish54]

I found this comment on a site, 'Muddy Waters' Folk Singer it rated 15 overall, 17 on its highest track


A question for Monk... I tried to download that file into Foobar2000, but windows 7 could not open the, foo_dynamic_range.dll application
any suggestions

Take the foo_dynamic_range.dll and throw it into the components folder in the Foobar program files.

C:\Program Files\foobar2000\components

 

[monkish54]

His Silk Road Journeys is much better in terms of sound quality, not sure about the DR.

DR Database

 

[monkish54]

BTW, the song with 8DR is not dynamically compressed to poop. It's just very very quiet and lacks large peaks.

Statistics for: 05-Echoes of a Lost City
Number of samples: 3448620
Duration: 1:18
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Left Right

Peak Value: -14.56 dB --- -14.16 dB
Avg RMS: -29.94 dB --- -28.26 dB
DR channel: 8.70 dB --- 7.70 dB
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Official DR Value: DR8

 

[PENG]

DR Database

I just listened to/watched track 1 SACD and I've got DR25. I haven't tried the CD version but I will, to see if the DR is lower.

 

[monkish54]

I just listened to/watched track 1 SACD and I've got DR25. I haven't tried the CD version but I will, to see if the DR is lower.

I'll have to find the SACD version and test it as well.

This is what I have for track one:

Statistics for: 01-Mohini (Enchantment)
Number of samples: 4726344
Duration: 1:47
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Left Right

Peak Value: -0.10 dB --- -1.59 dB
Avg RMS: -14.99 dB --- -15.88 dB
DR channel: 11.23 dB --- 10.31 dB
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Official DR Value: DR11

 

[monkish54]

Wait, are we talking about "When Strangers Meet", or "Beyond the Horizon"?

 

[PENG]

Wait, are we talking about "When Strangers Meet", or "Beyond the Horizon"?

When Strangers Meet, track One SACD is Mongolian Traditional Long song. I just check the cover and realize the DR24 to 25 is at near the end of track 2, Legend of Herlen. The vocal is by the same person and track 1's duration is only 1' 28 that's why I didn't even know where it ends and where Track 2 starts.

 

[PENG]

Is there another brand of speakers that is ultra-accurate (Frequency Response confirmed by NRC or Stereophile) and has a flagship that costs $80K or more?

Harman, TAD - $80K (ultra accurate)
ATC, B&W - $80K (medium accurate)
KEF - $160K (ultra accurate)
Focal - $190K (medium accurate)
Dynaudio -$100K (medium accurate)

Verity Audio, Monsalvat - $325,000 (accuracy? No one knows but their lower $40,000 model measured by JA did not do well)

Verity's Vision

Verity Audio Monsalvat Loudspeaker

Apparently they do make one that sells for under $10,000.

 

[monkish54]

accuracy? No one knows but their lower $40,000 model measured by JA did not do well

It looks SOOO bad. As George Carlin once said " I wouldn't f*** her with a stolen d***!! In other words, I wouldn't buy that speaker for $1,000, let alone $40,000.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Verity Audio, Monsalvat - $325,000 (accuracy? No one knows but their lower $40,000 model measured by JA did not do well)

Verity's Vision

Verity Audio Monsalvat Loudspeaker

Apparently they do make one that sells for under $10,000.

Verity Audio Sarastro II loudspeaker Measurements | Stereophile.com

Exactly. It looks almost as bad as Zu Audio.

There aren't any other speakers that fit my "criteria".

Wilson, Sonus Faber, Legacy, etc, none of them really measure as accurately as TAD, KEF, Harman.

 

[monkish54]

KEF Blade!

 

[PENG]

Just realize my Silk Road Journey isn't a hybrid so I don't have the CD version to play with. There really aren't much reasons to belive the DR would be different anyway.

 

[PENG]

It looks SOOO bad. As George Carlin once said " I wouldn't f*** her with a stolen d***!! In other words, I wouldn't buy that speaker for $1,000, let alone $40,000.

Even for $2,000, something like the Phil 2 will be a no brainer. I wonder what kind of people would buy those expensive speakers with such subpar characteristics. I am sure Verity is not the only one of such kind, there are many more expensive ones that most likely don't sound accurate.

 

[PENG]

Verity Audio Sarastro II loudspeaker Measurements | Stereophile.com

Exactly. It looks almost as bad as Zu Audio.

There aren't any other speakers that fit my "criteria".

Wilson, Sonus Faber, Legacy, etc, none of them really measure as accurately as TAD, KEF, Harman.

I think you are right but I wish TAD, KEF, Harman will publish more detailed distortion specs, such as distortion vs freq vs spl, across the whole audible range. I couldn't help but to wonder if lower distortion is the reason why the B&W diamond series sound so good to me, despite their mediocre accuracy in terms of freq response on/off axis.

 

[monkish54]

Just realize my Silk Road Journey isn't a hybrid so I don't have the CD version to play with. There really aren't much reasons to belive the DR would be different anyway.

Sometimes the SACD are a bit better because they anticipate audiophiles will buy them. Regardless, I have "A Meeting By The River". I need to get the other one!