If I am to enjoy a morning breakfast of blueberries, yogurt, and granola there has to be a proper balance between the flavors. My preference in berries runs towards the firm and tart which means that in order to reach a perfect balance there needs to be a bit of sweetness. Too much in any one direction and the meal is less perfect.
The same idea of equilibrium—reaching for that perfect balance—applies to our stereo systems as well. Too much emphasis on the top end at the expense of the lower frequencies skews the balance towards an unwelcome brightness.
As much as we might believe that our setup work and equipment choices are focused on achieving the traditional audiophile values of transparency, effortlessness, tonal purity, slam, and musicality, a lot of those goals are really all about achieving equilibrium within the system.
We're far more likely to notice something out of balance than we are at spotting a particular standout characteristic.
Some of the best systems I have ever heard had achieved a near-perfect balance of all the elements.
Nothing pointing to itself.
A perfect equilibrium.
