Videos of Acoustically-Coupled Audio Recordings

[hopkins]

I think the obsessed audiophile longs for the simple experience he remembers from days past when he listened to music at a dorm party or with a girl in his car and did not think about the sound so much.

I agree completely with you here.

I have a feeling this also comes with age. As we age, our hearing deteriorates, perhaps we seek a different kind of sound.

 

[Argonaut]

I even linked some brilliant ones from Furtwangler no one seems to have even tried them. That was a test.

I was immersing myself in the Furtwängler Ring cycle only last evening … two fingers of single malt as listening companion

 

[stehno]

I don't comment on all videos! I did say yours was nice... What are your thoughts about your system and how it sounds on the video ?

My thoughts on my system? It brings me much pleasure with most any piece and/or genre I might listen to and in the process has also provided me a nice general education as I've learned much from it. But of course the real pleasure part actually occurs when listening volume levels approach intended live performance volume levels. As with this piece below. IOW, give it some juice. After all, one can make most any piece seem somewhat musical (less challenging) at lesser volumes.

What do I think of the sound of my Danny Boy video? Well, you said you heard a tad of a metallic-like sound but I don't hear that. I think I hear a rather balanced musical presentation with perhaps a slight tilt toward bright at times due to a deficiency.

I can think of several potential reasons for this deficiency including but it's probably mostly due to my system being a bit crippled. I've no tone or balance controls except for the not-too-uncommon HF L-pad and MR L-pad at the back of each speaker. These are essentially speaker tone controls that I don't prefer as I suspect such controls always have the potential to introduce more distortions. Anyway, I always run everything flat or neutral if any such tone controls exist but a few years ago I blew a few resistors in the right channel's mid-range L-pad. Hence, until the L-pad is fixed, I'm forced to dial the mid-range L-pad up to 1:30 p.m. for both L&R channels (to maintain balance) when this mid-range L-pad setting would normally be set to supposed flat or 12 pm. So I'm aware that it can be a bit bright at times but even so hopefully the presentation still seems relatively balanced.

Regardless, I'd venture that with the Danny Boy video or perhaps any of my videos, in most every case should be well within the musical ballpark of a supposedly "official" youtube video - which is perhaps our best reference for direct comparison to an unadulterated "official" youtube video. Not to mention that one ought never hear that seemingly common empty-coffee-can-like sound from any of my videos, nor from any supposed official youtube video, nor from any live performance.

 

[Rexp]

I disagree here.

Kedar is correct that a person who never has heard music reproduced by a better system may very well achieve satisfying emotional engagement from a table radio or a car stereo or a boombox.

What many people have heard is a live performance that reduces them to tears. Some high end systems can deliver these moments at home. Many people, including most Audiophiles, don't have such a system and are therefore missing out.

 

[MRubey]

I think it’s just fun.
I enjoy seeing great systems even when the video sounds like crap. Occasionally it’s pretty good. I’ve been watching PB’s vids for years (bless him). I know many of you have as well. He did a good job of it.
I recently created a YouTube channel just with the idea of sharing music I know almost no one has ever heard. (I will post both cds of the Joe Charles material at some point) Then I found that friends and coworkers enjoyed it. I’m recording with a stock iPhone 15. It comes across pretty well listening on a phone. It sounds terrible on anything bigger. I’m interested in how to do it better. Im looking into microphones that will simply plug into my phone. Not too interested in it becoming a big investment. Im much more interested in the upgrades I’m planning for my system.

 

[hopkins]

I think it’s just fun.
I enjoy seeing great systems even when the video sounds like crap. Occasionally it’s pretty good. I’ve been watching PB’s vids for years (bless him). I know many of you have as well. He did a good job of it.
I recently created a YouTube channel just with the idea of sharing music I know almost no one has ever heard. (I will post both cds of the Joe Charles material at some point) Then I found that friends and coworkers enjoyed it. I’m recording with a stock iPhone 15. It comes across pretty well listening on a phone. It sounds terrible on anything bigger. I’m interested in how to do it better. Im looking into microphones that will simply plug into my phone. Not too interested in it becoming a big investment. Im much more interested in the upgrades I’m planning for my system.

Cool. Can you provide a link to your YouTube channel?
Edit: found it in your posts - https://www.youtube.com/@joyfulexistence/videos
Subscribed

 

[MRubey]

Cool. Can you provide a link to your YouTube channel?
Edit: found it in your posts - https://www.youtube.com/@joyfulexistence/videos
Subscribed

Cool, thank you.

 

[Rexp]

Does your playback of this track sound as good?

 

[hopkins]

Does your playback of this track sound as good?

What is it that you like about this recording ?

 

[Rexp]

What is it that you like about this recording ?

Firstly the video is well recorded using Zoom f8 and dpa mics I believe. Secondly the sound is way clearer than my Tidal playback , the difference is quite shocking.

 

[hopkins]

Firstly the video is well recorded using Zoom f8 and dpa mics I believe. Secondly the sound is way clearer than my Tidal playback , the difference is quite shocking.

That's odd - I listened to it on Qobuz (https://open.qobuz.com/track/55067946) and found the quality to be much better than on that video. Not even close. Which is why I was asking...

 

[Rexp]

That's odd - I listened to it on Qobuz (https://open.qobuz.com/track/55067946) and found the quality to be much better than on that video. Not even close. Which is why I was asking...

You're right Qobuz sounds good, must be a different master on Tidal. Thanks!

 

[Wavetouch]

Does your playback of this track sound as good?

I don't think this video is a live recording. This video is dubbed. The reproduced voice is too perfect to be live recording. And the video shows no evidence of live recording.

 

[hopkins]

I don't think this video is a live recording. This video is dubbed. The reproduced voice is too perfect to be live recording. And the video shows no evidence of live recording.

If you listen attentively, with a good pair of headphones, you will find that it is not dubbed. Soft vocals and guitar make it harder to distinguish because it is all pretty flat sounding, but whatever it is, it is not better than the original track.

 

[Rexp]

Firstly the video is well recorded using Zoom f8 and dpa mics I believe. Secondly the sound is way clearer than my Tidal playback , the difference is quite shocking.

Correction, they use Zoom H4n, what I like about their channel is that harsh or overly smooth digital playback comes through when they play poor digital sources.

 

[Wavetouch]

If you listen attentively, with a good pair of headphones, you will find that it is not dubbed. Soft vocals and guitar make it harder to distinguish because it is all pretty flat sounding, but whatever it is, it is not better than the original track.

This video is totally different from what I've been heard. All reproduced music sounds unnatural. But this video sounds natural and just dirty. It could be dubbed and just some sound effects such as delay and arena.
Anyway there is no sign that this video is a live recording and the maker ????MY-HIEND didn't want to show this is a live recording.
I want to show my video is live like below.

 

[hopkins]

Here's a recording of Shirley Horn - "Look of Love" - performing at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1994:

EDIT: the recording was not optimal (incorrect settings on my recorder) - will post a new one below

Here is the original file: https://storage.googleapis.com/cloudplayer/samples/03 The Look Of Love.flac
The recording is at a lower volume level.

If you like the track, buy the CD, the whole album is good.

 

[hopkins]

And here is a recording of the same track played of my Altec 755C speakers (microphone is much closer to the speakers):

Frequency response is narrower, but it has its advantages.
They are both very enjoyable "in-room".

 

[hopkins]

Here is the recording with my open baffle speakers:

I will soon be adding tweeters.

 

[hopkins]

Note: I recorded the Altec speakers at a higher volume than I usually listen to (in order to lower the ambient noise in the recording). They struggle at higher volumes (and one of the two speakers more than the other), probably due to their old age!

There may be some clipping/distortion in the recording as well.