J-ROB wrote:
How do you know the "detail" is on the recording and not an artifact of some process within the cap? Variability between recordings. When they all sound alike, something is obscuring the differences. No cap, or any other component even approaches perfection, but as they improve, differences become apparent. That's my gauge.
I believe, but can't prove, that much of a caps sound has to do with mechanical properties of the materials.
No disagreement here. Not just materials, but construction as well.
This kind of "more detail is better" thinking leads to some weird sounding hifi gear, particularly in speakers, where I am convinced that a lot of the perceived detail results from ringing and anomalies that are not related to the input signal. Similarly, I think some of what passes for detail in caps is a "trick."
Again, to re-ask your question, "how do you know the detail is in the recording"? Listening to lots of speakers. Lots of comparisons. Wonder about caps in the xo? Use an active crossover before the amp and DC couple to the driver. If the sound remains, it's not the xo cap. If it's in several speakers, it ain't the driver.
It's not "more detail is better" it's retrieval of the low level information that's in the recording. Not all this information is in the treble. Definition in the other frequency ranges IS low level retrieval. LOTS of caps blur this by ringing (DA). But the information must be presented without overemphasis.
I can't agree that the more "detailed" invariably caps sound better. Want detail? Turn up the treble knob (as if anybody had one anymore). BULL.
I get to hear a lot of super ambitious gear that is directly coupled circuitry with NO coupling caps, or one cap. It has a lot of inner detailed but not overly "in yo face" detailed, it is relaxed natural detail. That is what I am shooting for. Agree!
And we differ in that I am not a recording engineer anymore. When I listen to music I want to be comfortable, not feel like I am in front of a pr of NS-10s again looking for problems. If I can't play Magic Sam on it, I don't want it.
I want to be transported. Every once in awhile, it gets so real that I am taken out of the room and to another place. That's what I am shooting for. Different strokes.