Polk R700 Polarity & other issues

F1nut wrote: »

"changing what the sound engineer/artist intends"

I shake my head when I see that comment. Like the people saying it have a freaking clue what was intended.

Ironically it's not like artists have headphones with these 100% flat tunes, so even if you did strive to get the 'way the artist intended' a perfectly neutral response wouldn't be it most of the time.

Enjoy music how you like it, unless you like it from a Walmart Bluetooth speaker, then we have a problem.

msg wrote: »

You forgot to list the mastering specs:
Treble = 11
Bass = 11

Alternatively, with advanced 3-band graphic equalizer: max/zero/max smiley.

I remember when I used to get rental cars for work and half the time the bass and treble adjustments would be turned all the way up by someone who drove the car before me. I was always compelled to put those tone controls back to neutral. As the manufacturer intended.

HalfOhm wrote: »

I certainly don't know what the artists intend for us to hear, and it seems like recording engineers aren't all on the same page when it comes to mastering tracks or what frequency's they like to emphasize. I do honestly prefer a neutral or balanced sound, which "experts" have concluded that to achieve this involves a downward sloping response, a 10 to 12db difference between 20hz to 20khz. Which for speakers can be extremely hard to accomplish in real world-real room environments. Then add in the differences of how all recordings are a little different and I don't think we could ever reproduce exactly what ever it was that the artists or recording studio intended us to experience. I'm just speaking my opinions here, I have no idea what recording artists go thru or what their goal is when making a recording. Like are they doing it with high end 2 ch stereo's in mind?

All I'll say is this, what you prefer is what should be your most important goal to audio. If you like a crap load of bass, go ahead, more power too you.

What the artist intends for you to hear is nearly impossible to know. You have to take into account the gear they're using, their hearing (this is different person to person), and what they have in mind. For instance Muse's Kill or be Killed might only sound as 'intended' to Matt Belamy (lead singer) but no one else simply because his hearing is different.

The ONLY way to experience what audiophiles like to consider is the 'way the artist intendes' is by accounting for their audio processing and amplification sound signature, their headphone/monitor sound signature, and hearing abilities. You'd literally have to change this from song to song.

Its, in my opinion, one of the dumbest things to say when you go "I want to hear it how the artist intended" because it's impossible when speaking if it from the traditional audiophile sense.

I will finally add that, having met some professional musicians who publish music, I've asked them this question because it always was interesting to me. The few rappers I met essentially said however people like it, but they like lots of bass in the songs, and the other musicians mentioned to me that they mix it to their preferences and that others should listen to it however they'd like. Mind you these are local artists, not big time ones.