Transparency and Resolution: Mean the same thing to you?

[caesar]

Those damn, confusing audio words!

What do transparency and resolution mean to you?

My thought is that Transparency is about the musical whole, including communicating the emotion of the music, while resolution is getting the most of the minutest details from the recording.

Do you guys agree or disagree?

 

[ack]

You can have transparency with just subjectively adequate resolution, if you want to reproduce a live event as if you were listening from afar. But for me, ultimate resolution is a factor to ultimate transparency.

 

[LenWhite]

The terms are closely related, and I do agree audio terminology is confusing at best. Likely because it's difficult to describe the various attributes of audio reproduction systems.

Paraphrasing Stereophile's glossary http://www.stereophile.com/content/sounds-audio-glossary-glossary the definitions are:

Resolution: how well one can clearly define individual voices or instruments and the silence between them, particularly in a large performing group.

Transparency: how well an audio system avoids obscuring the audio reproduction.

 

[BobM]

I agree with these, but with a slight addition

Resolution: how well one can clearly define individual voices or instruments and the silence between them, particularly in a large performing group. And the systems ability to cover the full audio spectrum from deep bass to tinkly things and ambiance.

Transparency: how well an audio system avoids obscuring the audio reproduction. As best manifested via soundstaging and imaging and depth of field.

 

[JackD201]

I think of resolution as a system's ability to accelerate and decelerate. Much like power to weight ratio and how this affects mechanical performance. A system will track a signal better just as a car might get a better track time.

I think of transparency as the lack of coloration where all I can do is judge a component by how different it will sound depending on what is in front of it/signal or recording it is fed. This is something that I think is the trickier assessment since there is no perceivable as opposed to measurable standard for ultimate transparency by which this can be compared against.

 

[amirm]

Nitpicking , resolution is not the right word to use here. The correct one is accuracy. Resolution simply means we have many digits representing something but does not vouch for its accuracy. A 24-bit DAC has 24 bits of resolution but likely 20 or lower number of bits of accuracy.

 

[Ronm1]

As others have already replied
It seems obvious to me that
Resolution is accuracy of frequencies being presented. Which ones all, some, are they balanced in relative volume, etc.
Transparency is how easily within that presentation those frequencies can be determined due to noise, distortion, etc.
Similar IMHO as the relationship of soundstage and imaging.

 

[MylesBAstor]

How about both qualities are related? The better the system, the lower the noise and distortion allowing both qualities to come to the fore. Transparency is removing that veil over the stage; as one's system gets better and better, it becomes easier and easier to visualize in the mind's eye the instruments in the back of the stage. Resolution can be of the timbral, ambience, etc. quality and it's the ability to hear all the recording's nuances be it the instrument's harmonic envelope or the walls of the stage.

 

[BobM]

In reading this I think we can make an extremely good case for the room (and room treatments) being an integral "component" of a system, because if the room ain't right you are going to experience humps in frequency response and distortions that will prevent proper separation of instruments, blurring of transients, and soundstaging issues, to name a few.

 

[Al M.]

In reading this I think we can make an extremely good case for the room (and room treatments) being an integral "component" of a system, because if the room ain't right you are going to experience humps in frequency response and distortions that will prevent proper separation of instruments, blurring of transients, and soundstaging issues, to name a few.

+1

I suppose the distortions that you refer to are mostly blurring reflections. My custom-designed room treatment from ASC has perhaps been the single most important upgrade to my system (see my review linked to in my signature). Also, without it I could hardly hear the vast difference in resolution between my current Berkeley DAC and my 20-year old Wadia 12 DAC (as tested both before and after room treatment).