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An explanation of "dark, warm, and natural"

To illustrate the principal of "dark, warm, and natural", let us refer to the Harbeth Monitor 30 or the Quad ESL 57 loudspeaker:

Dark: While there is plenty of frequency extension, the emphasis is not on brightness, air, attack, or sparkle. Highs may not be as extended or thrust forward as they are in other speakers. The voicing is mellower and is never fatiguing, metallic, or piercing. There is a romantic and seductive quality to the overall sound.

Warm: The midbass is nice and full and prominent, perhaps even bloated, but in a pleasant way that adds punch and body to the music. Some may complain that female vocals are "chesty" or overly rich. I happen to like this.

Natural: Midrange has a palpable smoothness and a 'buttery' quality with a total absence of glare or grain. The sound is more like flesh against flesh vs metal against glass. There is a distinct quality of softness. Music flows and pours from the speakers with liquidity and never becomes shouty or strident. Voices and instruments sound extremely organic and therefore very real and quite friendly. The senses are soothed rather than assaulted.

What you find is that with these two loudspeakers, everything seems to sound good, regardless of source or amplification. They do no harm. Even a bad recording can sound musical. The goal is not extracting detail or presenting the illusion of extra resolution, it is in preserving musicality and if anything, highlighting the magical and pleasant qualities of any particular recording. That is what I am seeking in a DAC.


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