Videos of Acoustically-Coupled Audio Recordings

[Ron Resnick]

so you are saying, for example, people who listen to live and know what unamplified sounds like, always agree on written, verbal description, or at hifi shows, they only don’t agree on videos?

Not entirely, no. Your recharacterization of what I wrote makes it more black and white than I intended.

I am saying that, all else being equal, I think there would be greater agreement about sound in the room then there is about sound in the videos. Putting it differently I think the videos inject a lot of artificiality, unnecessary distortion and figurative "noise" into the sonic comparisons which would not exist if people were together in the room.

I do think videos can be used to judge relative tonal balance and relative resolution.

 

[Carlos269]

Not entirely, no. Your recharacterization of what I wrote makes it more black and white than I intended.

I am saying that, all else being equal, I think there would be greater agreement about sound in the room then there is about sound in the videos. Putting it differently I think the videos inject a lot of artificiality, unnecessary distortion and figurative "noise" into the sonic comparisons which would not exist if people were together in the room.

I do think videos can be used to judge relative tonal balance and relative resolution.

I disagree. I think videos provide a good representation of the sound character of the systems. Why do you run around at audio shows recording systems playing if you don’t believe that they provide any value?

 

[Argonaut]

Given that Ron's Vimeo vid of Roberta Flack sounded much better than his youtube vid, the mic is not the weakest link.

We have had this conversation before posts 17 / 18 …

Analog or Digital Playback On This Video?

Roberta Flack "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Do you think I recorded on this video analog or digital playback?

www.whatsbestforum.com

 

[hopkins]

I am saying that, all else being equal, I think there would be greater agreement about sound in the room then there is about sound in the videos.

Here also my experience is that opinions diverge. How could it be otherwise when you recognize that people set up vastly different systems in their homes?

Putting it differently I think the videos inject a lot of artificiality, unnecessary distortion and figurative "noise" into the sonic comparisons which would not exist if people were together in the room.

Absolutely.

 

[Ron Resnick]

My personal experience comparing written reviews of speakers (or even personal accounts) with my impressions when I get to listen to them is that written reviews of speakers are useless. We are sensitive to different aspects of sound reproduction, and those differences can be subtle but essential to us.

Thank you for replying.

But I think we are talking past each other. I am not talking about written reviews.

i'm talking about if KeithR goes to Robert Harley's room and listens to music, and then goes to Jay's room and listens to music, and reports to me what he hears from those two different systems in two different rooms using the same loudspeakers.

 

[bonzo75]

Not entirely, no. Your recharacterization of what I wrote makes it more black and white than I intended.

I am saying that, all else being equal, I think there would be greater agreement about sound in the room then there is about sound in the videos. Putting it differently I think the videos inject a lot of artificiality, unnecessary distortion and figurative "noise" into the sonic comparisons which would not exist if people were together in the room.

I do think videos can be used to judge relative tonal balance and relative resolution.

Yes I have seen the agreement in verbal written posts and on the show reports threads.

For my own reports, I have seen people accept more the videos with the accompanying words.

i do agree on what you are saying from your own videos though. I stopped commenting on your videos because you are making videos randomly. With videos you have to demonstrate some point, choose your recordings and passages. You have been posting videos of any random digital or LP track. I wouldn’t post a video of what I wouldn’t use to audition. Videos are not a real time documentary of the listening life of an audiophile, which is how some of your videos came about.

 

[hopkins]

Thank you for replying.

But I think we are talking past each other. I am not talking about written reviews.

i'm talking about if KeithR goes to Robert Harley's room and listens to music, and then goes to Jay's room and listens to music, and reports to me what he hears from those two different systems in two different rooms using the same loudspeakers.

Thanks for clarifying. If KeithR has similar tastes as you then sure, this is ideal.

You also have to take into consideration that many audiophiles enjoy their hobby in relative isolation. Videos are more "interactive" (and anyone can offer comments).

 

[Ron Resnick]

Why do you run around at audio shows recording systems playing if you don’t believe that they provide any value?

You would have to poll my viewers. My guess is that people like seeing the components.

 

[bonzo75]

The final thing is while we appreciate you posting the videos, we will also appreciate you and Al don’t bother us with the same rinse and repeat comments 4th or 5th year running. We encourage people to post videos, if not please move on, there are enough “read” reports you can comment on.

 

[bonzo75]

You would have to poll my viewers. My guess is that people like seeing the components.

i have zero interest. You can strip out the video and load the audio to google files

 

[Ron Resnick]

The final thing is while we appreciate you posting the videos, we will also appreciate you and Al don’t bother us with the same rinse and repeat comments 4th or 5th year running.

Fair enough. But I thought my post today reflected some new and improved objections.

 

[Ron Resnick]

You can strip out the video and load the audio to google files

My guess is that very few people would listen to those audio-only files.

 

[bonzo75]

Fair enough. But I thought my post today reflected some new and improved objections.

No, as usual they ignored what video advocates say, or request you to try and do.

 

[Wavetouch]

I am saying that, all else being equal, I think there would be greater agreement about sound in the room then there is about sound in the videos. Putting it differently I think the videos inject a lot of artificiality, unnecessary distortion and figurative "noise" into the sonic comparisons which would not exist if people were together in the room.

To my ears, videos don't inject a lot of artificiality, unnecessary distortion noises. The videos are correct and you and almost all other systems (include million $ systems) have those noises (except Peter A and my systems have very little noise and sound closer to the original music). I am saying this because I remove those noises and make a natural sound audio gears.

I had/have many noisy (aka., veil, glare, distortion, a curtain between my ears and speakers) audio systems. I went to audio shows and stores to hear a good audio system for decades and they all had/have a noise problem. Now I found how to remove those noises. When more noses are removed from a system, the sound becomes closer to the original music.

 

[morricab]

Do you consider that this System recording is a true reflection of the artists soundtrack ?

Sadly, it is not really very close.

 

[morricab]

How about this …

Like the previous one...much too thin in the body of the instrument (the other one was much too thin in the voice and piano).

 

[morricab]

And this one …

Not as tonally off but far less presence than on the recording...violin sounds quite recessed compared to the recording.

 

[morricab]

I see no interest at all. Are we making videos of everything we can find now? I don't have unlimited time, nor motivation. There are millions of tracks out there.

If driving this thread further is your jam, I humbly suggest raising the bar instead of taking our cues from anytime someone posts a video online with an expensive system and trying to compare our stuff. Otherwise, look at the last 2 pages. Everything posted sounds genuinely atrocious IMO, from the video the idea was taken from, to yours, and Carlos's several systems. Not a problem with your system, it's just a shitty, colored and corrupted comparison point. The fact we all share the same doesn't really matter much. What are we comparing? If the originally bloated, diffuse and processed voice sounds more or less bloated in your system? What is the end game like for something like this?

No, it should have the SAME shitty, bloated processed sound ...not a different shitty sound...

 

[Carlos269]

Sadly, it is not really very close.

By design. It is improved in ways that appeal to “me”.

 

[morricab]

I actually agree with you here. Your system on your system video sound more like the recording. This fares well for you as a speaker manufacturer. What the WAAR system with the Remastering process offers is more than a reproduction of the original recording. The WAAR system with the Remastering process provides an enhanced reproduction that meets my personal requirement for a more dimensional and detailed sound. It is obvious from the videos that the WAAR system’s sound has more definition & inner detail and a greater sense of scale and dynamics. Further more is you listen to the different videos the sound of the WAAR system with the Remastering process is more enjoyable and captivating to listen to than the reproduced original recording. As Brad “Morricab” quite accurately stated, the WAAR system with the Remastering process just sounds more “live” than a straight forward reproduction, and that was my goal.

However, Carlos, on this recording I don't think your WAAR system does the recording any favors. It sounds thin and overly sharp on the piano and her voice.