Videos of Acoustically-Coupled Audio Recordings

[morricab]

Here is a recording of a more challenging track (first 2 minutes):

The WAV track of the recording: https://storage.googleapis.com/cloudplayer/samples/Beethoven.wav

My cat is meowing and trying to open a door in the background at the very beginning of the recording, and I did not have time for another take... interestingly, when i listen back to the recording with headphones from the same seating position, the location of the cat and door is very precise and i am practically fooled into thinking that my cat is asking for food again. But Beethoven is a little more subtle than a banging door...

Recording is of streaming of this track on Qobuz: https://open.qobuz.com/track/104023727
The recording volume is lower than when playing the track on Qobuz.

The difference between the YouTube version and the wav version is much less significant than the difference between the recording and playback from Qobuz.

The recording sounds ok, but listening to the track on Qobuz you can see that the music is "simplified" in the recording, it is less impactful. Listening on Qobuz you also get deeper bass (provided your headphones are up to the task).

Is the recording in and of itself enjoyeable ? I think so, but you tell me.

What is due to the recording, and what is due to the system? Only I can tell you that! I wonder how even seasoned YouTubers can come to any conclusion about that, or anything else really...

How would the recording sound with a 3000$ microphone ? No idea.
How would it sound with the build-in microphones of a phone ? Worse.

Does the recording sound like my system? Yes, and no. It is impossible to answer that question.

The bass may be rolled off a little on the recording, but the system itself is also limited in that department (due to the limitations of the speaker drivers, and room modes). The impact of the notes is of course better when listening to the system live, and there is more detail than on the recording. But i know there are areas where the system can be improved - isn't that true of every system ? What matters is limiting the flaws that would make the system unenjoyeable to listen to, and improving things to make it even more enjoyeable...

What do I learn from the recording? Even with all its limitations, it crystallizes things, and helps me confirm some "analytical" listening impressions. There is always room for improvement. That does not stop me from enjoying my system (and my music collection) tremendously. I often have to force myself to stop listening at the risk of blowing off everything else.

Would I learn something by listening to the same track recorded on someone else's system (with similar recording equipment) ? I have no idea, and I am not so sure that is really the point. I can listen to other systems live at shows, dealers, people's homes, and get a better idea of how they really sound than on a YouTube video. Having listened to a lot of systems live, I have a good idea as to what types of sound one can expect from various speakers/equipment. A YouTube video may simply get me curious, especially if it relates to a new "technology" or new designs that I have not yet heard live. It seems to me that the only thing we can expect from a YouTube video is whether the sound is "credible" - you can't expect too much from a recording.

What can others take out of this ? I have no idea. It may give a few people the curiosity to seek out further information and learn about alternative equipment and designs.

I’ll be recording the same track in a few weeks, after some further improvements are made, but that is a different topic

How did you record it? Also what are those speakers? I have never seen a line array of full range drivers before

 

[hopkins]

How did you record it? Also what are those speakers? I have never seen a line array of full range drivers before

I recorded it from my seating position, with a portable Tascam DR-100 recorder and Superlux S502 microphones. The mics are a good value (around 150$) but you could certainly do better.

I have described the system in writing here (and in another follow up report as I rebuild the speakers after):

ECdesigns PowerDAC-S and Open Baffle Speakers

ECdesigns’s take on High Fidelity in a speaker system

paulstephane.github.io

A line array design is interesting but does have some drawbacks (what doesn't?). How significant are the pros and cons, hard to say. Ideally these types of speakers should probably be paired with subwoofers, but I am not ready to introduce some in my system and room. I listen mostly to jazz from the 1930s to the 1970s, and it's not a showstopper for me.

 

[RCanelas]

I hope it is not too late for me to play. The music itself is as boring as a Manchester brick for my taste.

 

[Carlos269]

I hope it is not too late for me to play. The music itself is as boring as a Manchester brick for my taste.

Ricardo, your system video sounds great. Thanks for posting it. And yes I agree, the music is boring and not what I would normally listen to either. No disrespect to Lori and her fine performance, just not my type of music. Will try to record my Open Baffle field-coil system this weekend during my listening session.

 

[wil]

I hope it is not too late for me to play. The music itself is as boring as a Manchester brick for my taste.

Though video compares can be interesting, this “audiophile” music is a bridge too far for me to listen to any of these vids. It seems like a bad joke from M Fremer to have us comparing our systems with this.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Its typical girl with guitar music , any small 2 way system can handle that .
But i have to say i think may be RCanelas YT version was the best .
Lets invite M fremer to upload a vid of the Organ music i mentioned and see how the XVX s handle that in his room .

That said i dont think YT can capture scale / bass extension very well , especially if recorded with phone mics

 

[PeterA]

Though video compares can be interesting, this “audiophile” music is a bridge too far for me to listen to any of these vids. It seems like a bad joke from M Fremer to have us comparing our systems with this.

Totally agree about the music. A friend is dialing in his system and sending a few of us videos of Shostakovich‘s eighth Symphony, 3rd Movement. Now that can test a system. In fact his system is so revealing, he is moving around the carpet and the changes come through clearly over the YouTube video.

Another listener in the group commented on the effect of a change to the power delivery system simply by hearing the change in the video. Over the course of a couple weeks of him experimenting and comments from the group’s exchanges, the system performance has gone from mediocre to excellent.

 

[hopkins]

It's not so much about the type of music, but about the recording quality of the track being used.

The piano in "Truly" is not that well recorded. I don't know why, but the point is that there are lots of tracks that have very few instruments which provide incredible detail and "realism".

But those qualities are probably too subtle to be revealed through low quality recordings and YT compression anyway (and basic low quality headphones,not to mention phone speakers).

These types of recordings are made with highly sensitive microphones, in studio conditions (not in living rooms). Surprising? Not really... Do you really expect that a phone or even a 100$ microphone is going to provide the same level of quality as the best microphones used in recording studios ?

You can record a pipe organ or a symphony, and the same applies.

By the way, a piano has a wide range going from roughly 30hz to 4000hz... If all you are looking for is the proof of an extended frequency range then you may as well simply publish a frequency sweep of your system.

 

[andromedaaudio]

FM acoustics plays anything at shows .
A lot of pop and rock music on LP .
Do the same on most systems in munich and a lot of (very expensive) set ups will start falling apart at the show .

 

[morricab]

I recorded it from my seating position, with a portable Tascam DR-100 recorder and Superlux S502 microphones. The mics are a good value (around 150$) but you could certainly do better.

I have described the system in writing here (and in another follow up report as I rebuild the speakers after):

ECdesigns PowerDAC-S and Open Baffle Speakers

ECdesigns’s take on High Fidelity in a speaker system

paulstephane.github.io

A line array design is interesting but does have some drawbacks (what doesn't?). How significant are the pros and cons, hard to say. Ideally these types of speakers should probably be paired with subwoofers, but I am not ready to introduce some in my system and room. I listen mostly to jazz from the 1930s to the 1970s, and it's not a showstopper for me.

I have a DR-100MkIII that makes pretty good recordings with the in-built microphones. I am wondering what the external microphones bring. Which version of DR-100 do you have? There were significant changes from MkII to MKIII (better op amps and better AD converter...not sure about microphones themselves.).

 

[hopkins]

I have a DR-100MkIII that makes pretty good recordings with the in-built microphones. I am wondering what the external microphones bring. Which version of DR-100 do you have? There were significant changes from MkII to MKIII (better op amps and better AD converter...not sure about microphones themselves.).

I have the MK2. The external microphone are a little better but I actually never compared two recordings. Will do so and get back to you.

 

[mtemur]

iPhone models do sound different on playback

IMHO/IME iphone 6s recordings sound great. Later 11, 12 etc sound muffled. I think it’s because of improved water resistance.

 

[Rexp]

This is one of my YT reference tracks (Human by Vanessa Fernandez), a bit bright but can your system do as well?

 

[hopkins]

This is one of my YT reference tracks (Human by Vanessa Fernandez), a bit bright but can your system do as well?

I can't say I am terribly impressed by this video - listening to it first without having heard the original, and confirmed as well after having heard the original on Qobuz (both using headphones). Is it the system, the recording, the room, a bit of everything ? Hard to say, but there is nothing very pleasing about the sound, IMO. Sorry!

 

[Al M.]

I can't say I am terribly impressed by this video - listening to it first without having heard the original, and confirmed as well after having heard the original on Qobuz (both using headphones). Is it the system, the recording, the room, a bit of everything ? Hard to say, but there is nothing very pleasing about the sound, IMO. Sorry!

Indeed. Yuck.

 

[Rexp]

I can't say I am terribly impressed by this video - listening to it first without having heard the original, and confirmed as well after having heard the original on Qobuz (both using headphones). Is it the system, the recording, the room, a bit of everything ? Hard to say, but there is nothing very pleasing about the sound, IMO. Sorry!

Despite it's faults I still prefer it to my Tidal playback, would be great if you could do a vid for this one, please.

 

[hopkins]

Despite it's faults I still prefer it to my Tidal playback, would be great if you could do a vid for this one, please.

Sure, but it will have to wait until next week.

Are you comparing the two (video/Tidal) using headphones ? I'm surprised you prefer the video ..

 

[Rexp]

Sure, but it will have to wait until next week.

Are you comparing the two (video/Tidal) using headphones ? I'm surprised you prefer the video ..

Yes, I just find the video sound more interesting, usually its the other way round.

 

[tima]

IMHO/IME iphone 6s recordings sound great. Later 11, 12 etc sound muffled. I think it’s because of improved water resistance.

Interesting. I'm not an apple person but I've found quite a bit of difference in microphone and video recording quality between 3 different android phones - varying from poor, nearly useless for judging sound, to pretty good, to excellent. I've read that the case on a phone can make a difference in recording quality so I can imagine improved water resistance might have an impact.

 

[Al M.]

Interesting. I'm not an apple person but I've found quite a bit of difference in microphone and video recording quality between 3 different android phones - varying from poor, nearly useless for judging sound, to pretty good, to excellent. I've read that the case on a phone can make a difference in recording quality so I can imagine improved water resistance might have an impact.

So much for the claim that phone recordings are an easy standardized way to compare.

Tang also once posted on his thread a comparison of an android and an iPhone video of the same music on the same system (his). It sounded like two different systems.