The inconvenient truth about videos is that they demonstrate what a system may sound like.
iPhone videos don't, that's the real inconvenient truth. That is clear from the
post by hopkins (#635) that compares different recording methods. Other recording methods may come closer as suggested by his follow-up comments and also demonstrated elsewhere.
Al’s system sounds radically different from my system and yet we both like the sound of our system and think it sounds like real music.
Well, I don't. In some respects my system may come relatively close, and I am thrilled about that, but it's not like the real thing. I'm just being honest with myself and others. I have never heard a system that sounds like real music.
iPhone YouTube videos will indicate to others whether or not our descriptions makes sense.
No, they won't. Recordings with professional equipment may come a bit closer.
This is why we will never see videos from some people.
That's what you would like to think.
The real reason is that many people (not just me) never post videos because they realize that you simply cannot replicate a system sound with, compared to that, a relatively coarse YouTube recording. If that were the case, then no expensive systems were needed. It's logical.
Those of us who think in this logical manner will not be childishly bullied into posting videos.
The whole idea that videos (rather than just being used as a tool for relative comparison within a given system) are indicative of a system sound in a more absolute manner is a distinct cheapening and trivialization of our hobby against which many people revolt, openly or more often silently, by not posting videos.