17-Apr-2018, 21:24
@David A: thank you, that was a really interesting post.
Your comments about how high-quality audio equipment is designed are thought-provoking. To be an expert designer (in any field) I suppose first of all you have to know the "rules" inside-out and only then are you likely to know intuitively when and how to "break them". In other words, good design is a blend of engineering and a dash of art. If you stick purely to engineering you'll probably end up with something serviceable but probably lacking that spark of magic. Adding the "art" part gives scope for brilliance, at the expense of not necessarily understanding how or why it got there. Come to think of it, much the same is true in music although the balance might be different.
As Guillaume pointed out, everyone seems to conclude that balance is the key. When that's remembered it certainly makes for a more interesting and worthwhile discussion.
Your comments about how high-quality audio equipment is designed are thought-provoking. To be an expert designer (in any field) I suppose first of all you have to know the "rules" inside-out and only then are you likely to know intuitively when and how to "break them". In other words, good design is a blend of engineering and a dash of art. If you stick purely to engineering you'll probably end up with something serviceable but probably lacking that spark of magic. Adding the "art" part gives scope for brilliance, at the expense of not necessarily understanding how or why it got there. Come to think of it, much the same is true in music although the balance might be different.
As Guillaume pointed out, everyone seems to conclude that balance is the key. When that's remembered it certainly makes for a more interesting and worthwhile discussion.
Roon (Mac Mini), Wilson Benesch Full Circle, Expert 1000 Pro CI, Kaiser Chiara
Warwickshire, UK
