Videos of Acoustically-Coupled Audio Recordings

[PeterA]

What is your take ?

I have a 45 mono reissue of this song and really like the music. The system video does not distract me from the beauty of the music like so many such videos do. So in that sense, it is quite good. It sounds pretty balanced, good tone, and easy to listen to. I do think there is a slight lack of nuance and life. It also lacks a bit of resolution and could be more dynamic. But, compared to most, it is good.

 

[Rexp]

I have to disagree. I think the Rexp 45 vinyl is much, much better than the YT version. Also much better than the mono version on the Cessaro system. Full of life. The others sound muddled by comparison. I don't hear a negative room influence here (and unwanted room reverberation is my biggest issue with many system vids).

Yes it's quite obvious to any music/Coltrane lover.
Btw I think the Cessaro one is quite good but held back by the iphone recorder.

 

[Al M.]

Yes it's quite obvious to any music/Coltrane lover.

Can you disagree without being arrogant?

So I am not a music/Coltrane lover, huh?

 

[Rexp]

Here's another reference vid for me, anyone care to try and beat it ?(starts 3min in)

 

[tima]

Quick and dirty contribution on the Shostakovich 8th by Haitnik.

It's very nice. You stopped before the climax. Can you re-record to include the last ~2:30?

 

[hopkins]

Here's another reference vid for me, anyone care to try and beat it ?(starts 3min in)

Is this the original track ?

 

[tima]

Your underlying assumption is that digital (in whatever form - YouTube, CD, streaming services...) is inferior and unable to sound "live". Maybe. If it is the case, then why do you bother with system videos (mic->ADC->DAC) ?

But to believe that people don't have experience of live music and are unable to recognize how close a system gets to that experience is simply BS. You are not special, and you should not make assumptions about peoples' experience outside of hifi.

Now let's move on, the discussion is sterile.

As I said, how I use you tube videos is different from how you use them. I kinda think we have different views on the use and value of such videos and I think that was clear from the outset of this thread about phone videos. I no longer listen to digital and have little to say about it. I made no comment on your experience, nor did I tell you what to say.

 

[hopkins]

I no longer listen to digital and have little to say about it.

Out of curiosity, do you not listen to newly released material which is not available on vinyl ?

 

[tima]

Here is a link to the thread: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussi...mail&utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid

I find it interesting that they are having the same discussion there as we have here. Some find the system videos useful while others do not. And those who enjoy them simply tell those who do not to ignore them. But they cannot ignore them. And they cannot ignore the discussion.

I also thought the early comment about getting "heat" was pretty funny, as well as the prioritizing of grounding and the power delivery to the quality of the sound of the system.

Similar but gracious.

 

[Rexp]

Is this the original track ?

Yup

 

[hopkins]

Similar but gracious.

It helps when people express themselves clearly.

 

[tima]

Out of curiosity, do you not listen to newly released material which is not available on vinyl ?

I listen to the radio, and sometimes the Metropolitan Opera when I can catch it. I listen to very little, almost no pop music although there is a constant barrage of it in restaurants and shopping so it is hard to avoid. I have maybe 5 to 6 hundred CD/SACD discs and play them on the Sonos occaisonally as background music, often soundtracks. The Classical catalog goes back hundreds of years and there are new vinyl records of classical music somewhat frequently. There is plenty to discover from the past, I don't feel I lack for music.

 

[hopkins]

I listen to the radio, and sometimes the Metropolitan Opera when I can catch it. I listen to very little, almost no pop music although there is a constant barrage of it in restaurants and shopping so it is hard to avoid. I have maybe 5 to 6 hundred CD/SACD discs and play them on the Sonos occaisonally as background music, often soundtracks. The Classical catalog goes back hundreds of years and there are new vinyl records of classical music somewhat frequently. There is plenty to discover from the past, I don't feel I lack for music.

Fair enough.

I am in the opposite situation, with 99% of my collection being digital. Even though the vast majority predates digital, a lot of it is unavailable on vinyl. I don't lose sleep over digital vs analog, I just focus on making digital sound as best as it can.

I don't understand why you have an issue with anyone choosing to compare a system video to the same track being played directly from a CD/YouTube/whatever source. To me it just sounds like a "posture" against digital. As I pointed out, you can't avoid multiple AD/DA conversions when listening to a system video.

How any of this has to do with our ability to appreciate "live" sound is a mystery. Clearly, there is something I fail to grasp in your reasoning.

 

[Al M.]

I don't understand why you have an issue with anyone choosing to compare a system video to the same track being played directly from a CD/YouTube/whatever source. To me it just sounds like a "posture" against digital. As I pointed out, you can't avoid multiple AD/DA conversions when listening to a system video.

You are too logical when it comes to vinyl playback videos.

The argument is often that vinyl sounds better than digital -- through a *digital* medium!

Of course you understand the logic here, right?

 

[hopkins]

You are too logical when it comes to vinyl playback videos.

The argument is often that vinyl sounds better than digital -- through a *digital* medium!

Of course you understand the logic here, right?

I understand that vinyl and digital CAN sound different. But so what?

Let's take the example of the Shostakovich symphony recorded by Tima and RCanelas.

I assume Tima is playing the vinyl version, and RCanelas is playing a digital version (please correct me if I am wrong). If that is the case, and if you believe that vinyl sounds best even through a digital system recording, then we should never compare these two videos either? That sounds like an extreme "posture", but no different from saying that we cannot compare Tima's recording to the original track on Qobuz (or any other source).

We are all experienced audiophiles here, and the "lectures" on the use of videos or what constitutes good sound, are a little tedious.

 

[Al M.]

I understand that vinyl and digital CAN sound different. But so what?

Let's take the example of the Shostakovich symphony recorded by Tima and RCanelas.

I assume Tima is playing the vinyl version, and RCanelas is playing a digital version (please correct me if I am wrong). If that is the case, and if you believe that vinyl sounds best even through a digital system recording, then we should never compare these two videos either? That sounds like an extreme "posture", but no different from saying that we cannot compare Tima's recording to the original track on Qobuz (or any other source).

We are all experienced audiophiles here, and the "lectures" on the use of videos or what constitutes good sound, are a little tedious.

Of course, since the vinyl playback video is in fact digital, you can conpare it to an original digital track. I agree with you.

 

[Argonaut]

I understand that vinyl and digital CAN sound different. But so what?

Let's take the example of the Shostakovich symphony recorded by Tima and RCanelas.

I assume Tima is playing the vinyl version, and RCanelas is playing a digital version (please correct me if I am wrong). If that is the case, and if you believe that vinyl sounds best even through a digital system recording, then we should never compare these two videos either? That sounds like an extreme "posture", but no different from saying that we cannot compare Tima's recording to the original track on Qobuz (or any other source).

We are all experienced audiophiles here, and the "lectures" on the use of videos or what constitutes good sound, are a little tedious.

Which just goes to highlight that Room / System are often more important fundamentals that Vinyl Vs Digital source when considering ones preference , if any , of YouTune presentations of the same recording … For example and for my part I consider the presentation from @RCanelas to be the pre-eminent of the two that you mention.

 

[Al M.]

Which just goes to highlight that Room / System are often more important fundamentals that Vinyl Vs Digital source when considering ones preference

Agreed. I think people are often barking up the wrong tree. Same as with hi-res vs CD. Diligently and properly sorting out a system/room trumps formats by a mile.

if any , of YouTune presentations of the same recording … For example and for my part I consider the presentation from @RCanelas to be the pre-eminent of the two that you mention.

Agreed again.

 

[Rexp]

Which just goes to highlight that Room / System are often more important fundamentals that Vinyl Vs Digital source when considering ones preference , if any , of YouTune presentations of the same recording … For example and for my part I consider the presentation from @RCanelas to be the pre-eminent of the two that you mention.

The original is a good (digital?) recording.I would expect the vinyl and digital playback to sound similar, which they do via youtube.

 

[hopkins]

Which just goes to highlight that Room / System are often more important fundamentals that Vinyl Vs Digital source when considering ones preference , if any , of YouTune presentations of the same recording … For example and for my part I consider the presentation from @RCanelas to be the pre-eminent of the two that you mention.

They are certainly different and some people may focus on a specific aspect that they may attribute to the source. I find both very pleasant to listen to, and I would be cautious in attributing differences to specific aspects of the systems.

After listening to the two videos, I listened to that track on my system. There are things I like, and things I miss. Overall, I really enjoyed listening, so to take a step back and hear things differently, I recorded it on my phone. When comparing my phone recording with either the Qobuz track or Tima or RCanelas' recording, the limitations of my system are like a big slap in your face! That's the power of videos