Videos of Acoustically-Coupled Audio Recordings

[Ron Resnick]

Ron, It took me a while to find, but here is one example where you state that the video is "pretty representative" of your in room system sound, in terms of tone. (Bonzo and Al both like the post too. ) You should still have the Carole King video in your Venmo. Link to your own words: https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/ron’s-new-system.35810/page-85

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"This iPhone mic recording sounds pretty representative
tonally of what I hear in the room.

Carole King "Will You Still Love Me Tomorow""



Reactions:bonzo75 and Al M.


And here is another: "The resolution is representative of what I hear in the room. " Post #1224 this thread.

Thank you for finding the posts.

You wrote: "Hasn’t Ron claimed that his videos are representative of the sound he hears from his listening seat?"

I was very specific that only the tonal balance and resolution were representative. Your statement that the "videos are representative of the sound" suggests broadly that the video is representative overall of the sound I hear in the room, and I have never said that.

I believe that you yourself have indicated that tonal balance and resolution are but two elements of the overall gestalt of the sound.

 

[PeterA]

Thank you for finding the posts.

You wrote: "Hasn’t Ron claimed that his videos are representative of the sound he hears from his listening seat?"

I was very specific that only the tonal balance and resolution were representative. Your statement that the "videos are representative of the sound" suggests broadly that the video is representative overall of the sound I hear in the room, and I have never said that. (I think this kind of thing is why Mike is not keen to post videos.)

You yourself have indicated that tonal balance and resolution are but two elements of the overall gestalt of the sound.

The three quotes I found covered three areas of presentation:

1. Tone
2. Tonal balance (frequency response?)
3. Resolution

Thank you for reminding me that when you say your videos represent the resolution you hear from your system, that you actually exclude specific aspects of your system's presentation that are not well resolved by the video recording like dynamics and presence. You have a much narrower definition of resolution than I have. I happen to think some of your videos are pretty dynamic and show a sense of presence. Are you saying that these are not well represented by your videos?

 

[tima]

Better music will be more on display as compared to audiophile stuff.

+1.
That's the hope.

 

[Argonaut]

It will become more evident who are those who get music and good sound out. Better music will be more on display as compared to audiophile stuff.

And this is achieved How exactly ? Who will form this panel of arbiters of “good sound “ and “ better music”

 

[microstrip]

And this is achieved How exactly ? Who will form this panel of arbiters of “good sound “ and “ better music”

Just to point that IMO reviews of Jacob Heilbrunn in TAS have more documented musical examples and better music than any thread on WBF on videos. See a few of them at https://www.theabsolutesound.com/author/jacob-heilbrunn/

 

[wil]

And this is achieved How exactly ? Who will form this panel of arbiters of “good sound “ and “ better music”

I think the point is to avoid the audiophile chestnuts which generally display very simple mood music with breathy vocals and pungent plucked strings -- the music most show exhibitors use because it can't possibly challenge their systems.

 

[tima]

I think the point is to avoid the audiophile chestnuts which generally display very simple mood music with breathy vocals and pungent plucked strings

The Girl from Ipanema

 

[tima]

.versus Shostakovich's 12th?

 

[hopkins]

The thread turned in on itself. I thought at first it would be people posting videos of their own systems -- those are interesting. Then several postings of YouTube videos appeared that were not system videos and used to make judgement on system videos. I see those you tube videos used in that way as a reference alternative to live acoustic music. Something I've asked about for years. But to get there the thread devolved to comparing a you tube video to a system video, something quite different than what I thought was the thread's original intent.

You sit at home and listen to a record and ask yourself if it sounds "live", without any critical analysis of the recording itself?

Help me understand.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron wants to impose a standard playback method on each of us. He wants us only to listen to these videos through our main systems.

Ron keeps trying to impose all these standards on him. Suddenly an anti-video guy who only shared videos of his system because people asked him to, is now trying to tell them how they should do it.

Impose?

Impose?

Trying to tell them?

These are overwrought (mis)characterizations.

Suggesting standardization is hardly imposing.

 

[PeterA]

Impose?

Impose?

Trying to tell them?

These are overwrought (mis)characterizations.

Suggesting standardization is hardly imposing.

Yes. You want to and you are trying to impose standardization, both in the type and model of microphone and system video playback through main systems. You were rather insistent to me privately about the latter, and publicly about both here.

You can argue that Bonzo is wants the same thing by suggesting that we simply use iPhones as a standard for consistency, but I find that you are a little bit more forceful.

It is just my impression Ron. I am not going to track down the quotes in the threads.

 

[PeterA]

Yes I think by 'original' he meant a digital copy on streaming services. Here's the three videos for reference:
Peter's video

A Youtubers video of vinyl playback

@stehno video of wav file playback

Rexp, here is a recent video of the same Sonny Rollins cut on my system. That first video is eight months old. This new one is after ddk came to fine tune the set up last fall. It is with the vintage Ortofon instead of the latest vdH Colibri, and the Lamm LP1 instead of the LP2.1. The comparison is pretty interesting.

 

[Rexp]

Interesting how we can hear this so differently. To me Steno's sounds like his system is giving an uncolored representation of a well produced studio recording. Peter's sounds like a great, lively system that is getting played twice with a strong room signature.

Unsolicited advice: If I were Peter I would get some professional impulse response measurements and then some well thought out minimal room treatments to get the most out of this obviously great system. Caveat: opinion based solely on video playback via headphones!

Stehno's digital copy sounds nothing like real music so yes it's interesting you don't hear this. I'm afraid I'm not one of those 'its all subjective' types.

 

[Rexp]

Rexp, here is a recent video of the same Sonny Rollins cut on my system. That first video is eight months old. This new one is after ddk came to fine tune the set up last fall. It is with the vintage Ortofon instead of the latest vdH Colibri, and the Lamm LP1 instead of the LP2.1. The comparison is pretty interesting.

Also great sounding, more body to it. I haven't previously forensically analysed Youtube videos, normally just ask myself does it sound realistic/engaging or not.

 

[tima]

You sit at home and listen to a record and ask yourself if it sounds "live", without any critical analysis of the recording itself?

Help me understand.

You make up hypothetical behavior then ask me to help you understand it?

 

[tima]

Suggesting standardization is hardly imposing.

I did not read it as a suggestion. I read your statement of desire to use a Shure microphone and refusal to listen to phone only videos as akin to saying 'if you don't play by my rules I'll take my ball and go home.' Own it or retract it, but don't try to put a dress on it.

 

[hopkins]

You make up hypothetical behavior then ask me to help you understand it?

We are all well aware of the limitations of system videos. Who cares whether a few people compare them to YouTube versions of tracks ?

 

[morricab]

And this is achieved How exactly ? Who will form this panel of arbiters of “good sound “ and “ better music”

Don’t worry, the self-anointed shall come forth…

 

[bonzo75]

And this is achieved How exactly ? Who will form this panel of arbiters of “good sound “ and “ better music”

that’s very simple. The individual listener, who will get more exposure of what can be due to videos than he does today

 

[PeterA]

that’s very simple. The individual listener, who will get more exposure of what can be due to videos than he does today

It is kind of interesting. There are not many horn based systems here on WBF, even fewer now that ddk, Tang, and Audiophile Bill have left the forum. You have shared many horn system videos. People watch them and discuss them. Suddenly people complain that all we discuss here on WBF are SET/horn systems. Your videos, and the discussions they generate, have had an effect.