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In the Forum: Playback Listening
In the Thread: The elusive “absolute tone”.
Post Subject: Absolute tonePosted by morricab on: 10/31/2007
"The same with the “absolute tone”.  The “absolute tone” is a RELATIVE term (ironic???) that describes a capacity of reproduction projected to the expectations of a listener and the tonal quality of the recorder music."

I think you have been bitten by the relativist bug Romy Smile.  Absolute tone is well absolute with regard to a specific instrument and/or how its played.  In other words it will always sound like itself. 

I don't think you can use absolute tone with regard to recordings or playback equipment.  For sure all systems have an inherent sound of their own (all leave some imprint on the music signal) so the reproduction can never be "absolute" in comparison to the real thing.  However; it can be close enough so as to be inaudible, although I have never heard reproduction quite that good yet.

This is why I was distinguishing between absolute tone, that which the live instrument or singer themselves make, and correct tone, with regard to getting the reproduction very close to that absolute.  In reproduction there is more correct and there is less correct but never absolute tone.  I guess I have a problem with your using "absolute" in a relative manner, sort of bastardizing the word.  Correctness leaves room for degrees and IMO is a more appropriate way to think about and distinguish recorded from live.

"I think all bravado of the electronics people about the HF they got are not real accomplishments but juts semi-accidental results and no one knows how to make them sound realistic."

You might be right but at least its clear that some approaches are better than others.

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