Audio Gadgets & Gizmos
Software Tone Balancer
02/10/10 00:50
I came
across this product via an advertisement that showed up on my
LinkedIn Page. Naturally I had to check it out. For legal reasons I
can't tell you it's name other than the words Bob and Cat appear in
it. It is a software product that sells for $3300 USD and makes
some outstanding claims. Here are some of them:
LIVE RE-MASTER YOUR MUSIC AND YOUR SOUND TO YOUR TASTE
Some of the superlatives provided include:
"It takes audio recording to new height"
"It makes the quality so much more beautiful."
"At once (on the most basic setting) the speakers sprung to life."
Now here's some information describing the process:
"Hear how XXX patent pending high frequency reverberation together with easy-to-use precision tone controls can transform both your music and your sound system to make your listening much more enjoyable, even thrilling. Make the worst CD or MP3 in your collection
listenable and the best one superb. XXX BOB software for PCs turns your computer into a CD player with sound quality exceeding the most expensive available.
...unique high frequency reverberation, unlike that in any real room or other equipment, together with improved tone controls, places this new system far in advance. It works with the Windows Media Player to produce 2-channel stereo or 5-channel output from ordinary 2-channel music files by adding ambiance into the rear and front channels. "
Ok, so that's some pretty good background on what's going on here. Equalization (EQ) and Reverberation.
The point I'd like to make is that no matter how "high quality" either of these processes are (and they might actually sound very good, insofar as EQ and Reverb go), they are not TRUE. Isn't TRUTH what the audiophile has been seeking since the dawn of HiFi? Any form of added equalization or reverb constitutes distortion. It simply is not what the producer and musicians wanted you to hear. So, at the very least they are taking subjective/artistic liberties with the audio signal, and at worst they are added distorting artifacts to the original material in an effort to make it "better".
You can probably tell that I'm disappointed that such a product exists. I spend numerous hours and days acoustically balancing rooms and audio systems so that my clients here the truth, the good, bad, and ugly, in their systems. This pursuit of truth is the holy grail of the HiFi quest. If I had a motto it might be "honor the song and honor the recording". So you can tell that I'm disappointed this product exists, and even more disappointed that somebody might buy it.
What do you think?
Jim
LIVE RE-MASTER YOUR MUSIC AND YOUR SOUND TO YOUR TASTE
Some of the superlatives provided include:
"It takes audio recording to new height"
"It makes the quality so much more beautiful."
"At once (on the most basic setting) the speakers sprung to life."
Now here's some information describing the process:
"Hear how XXX patent pending high frequency reverberation together with easy-to-use precision tone controls can transform both your music and your sound system to make your listening much more enjoyable, even thrilling. Make the worst CD or MP3 in your collection
listenable and the best one superb. XXX BOB software for PCs turns your computer into a CD player with sound quality exceeding the most expensive available.
...unique high frequency reverberation, unlike that in any real room or other equipment, together with improved tone controls, places this new system far in advance. It works with the Windows Media Player to produce 2-channel stereo or 5-channel output from ordinary 2-channel music files by adding ambiance into the rear and front channels. "
Ok, so that's some pretty good background on what's going on here. Equalization (EQ) and Reverberation.
The point I'd like to make is that no matter how "high quality" either of these processes are (and they might actually sound very good, insofar as EQ and Reverb go), they are not TRUE. Isn't TRUTH what the audiophile has been seeking since the dawn of HiFi? Any form of added equalization or reverb constitutes distortion. It simply is not what the producer and musicians wanted you to hear. So, at the very least they are taking subjective/artistic liberties with the audio signal, and at worst they are added distorting artifacts to the original material in an effort to make it "better".
You can probably tell that I'm disappointed that such a product exists. I spend numerous hours and days acoustically balancing rooms and audio systems so that my clients here the truth, the good, bad, and ugly, in their systems. This pursuit of truth is the holy grail of the HiFi quest. If I had a motto it might be "honor the song and honor the recording". So you can tell that I'm disappointed this product exists, and even more disappointed that somebody might buy it.
What do you think?
Jim