A little High Resolution Fun.....

[Champ04]

I recently came across this thread and found it pretty fascinating........
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...-highly-resolving-speaker-you-have-ever-heard

I've also been keenly interested in all the chatter regarding the EA MM7 versus the Magico Q7, etc.
AND given Robert Harley's recent review on the Q7, which I thought was just a tad over the top, I thought I'd provide a little test to see what exactly people are hearing out there.

A little background. I've never been much satisfied with the bizarre ways that we try to describe what we are hearing and why we prefer one system over another. As a scientist (by profession) I tend to be more of a black and white sort of person. This isn't to say that I don't appreciate the fact that there are many many things we hear that defy description. It's just that I tend more towards a sort of "I either hear it in the mix or I don't!" sort of guy.

Towards that end I've managed to track down several different tracks that have certain details and levels of resolution that allow me to very quickly ascertain the level of "resolution" of a system.
So! I would like to suggest one in particular that I like and see what everyone else out there comes up with.
BTW, I'm looking for a way to post this song online somewhere for easy access to anyone who wants to download and play along. The song amounts to 145mb in 16/44.1, so if anyone has suggestions on where to do that, I'm all for it.

Anyway, the track is:
"Castilian Drums" and it can be found on the "At Carnegie Hall" by Dave Brubeck and band.
(http://www.amazon.com/At-Carnegie-Hall-Dave-Brubeck/dp/B00005AWMW)

This track is a masterpiece of a jazz drum solo by the incredible Joe Morello. He uses a vast array of techniques throughout the solo and all of them become more obvious the greater the resolution of any given system. It is both extremely dynamic and full of subtle detail.
BUT! There is something else that comes forth on the best systems out there.
At some point during the solo another member of the band says something to Joe while he is playing.
And here in is the fun. I'm not going to tell you who says anything. I'm not going to tell you what he says. And I'm not going to tell you when he says it. That would make it all too easy.
I WILL tell you that on a truly HIGH resolution system all of these things are readily apparent. In other words, you don't have to strain to hear it.
The position within the sound stage and the tonality of the voice will tell you "WHO". As you get still better resolution you should be able to hear clearly exactly "WHAT" he says. Of course, by this point you'll also know exactly when it's said. It's not very long. Only a handful of words, actually. But it is distinct.

If you want to do this, play along nicely and don't give it away for everyone else by posting it here.
If you want to PM me I'll gladly respond.
Otherwise, I'm curious what discussions this will otherwise elicit.

 

[Bruce B]

Guess I'll have to order the CD now.....

 

[audioguy]

Guess I'll have to order the CD now.....

Me too. I did find this:

Apparently my $199 Audioengine computer speakers don't qualify as resolving. As an FYI, the (amazing) drum solo begins just after the 3 minute mark and runs to almost the end of the 14 minute piece.

I think I did hear a voice but could not have told you who or what was said.

 

[treitz3]

I'm game! CD ordered.

Tom

 

[NorthStar]

I'm game! CD ordered.

Tom

...Still waiting for that double-CD Tom.

You still have my mailing address right?

 

[Champ04]

Ah! It's a worthy CD to have anyway! A great live recording of a remarkable performance.

Note the picture as well. It will come in handy when listening to the music. Only two microphones. The heavy curtain at the back of the stage. The positioning of all the musicians. It's all readily apparent.
They do play a few tricks on the remastered CD. For instance, near the end of the track I've laid out, the drum kit will start to move on you, slightly. For most of the CD it sits solidly behind the left most microphone, which pretty much places it right behind your left speaker. Same for the piano, it will be far right. And Paul Desmond's sax will move around a bit, based on where he is standing in any given moment. He's the only one who can actually move around, obviously. Eugene Wright (double bass) is exactly where he should be, slightly left of center and furthest back.
It's a great CD. And this rendition of the iconic "Take Five" is by far my favorite!!

Enjoy!

 

[treitz3]

Good evening, Champ. I purchased the CD partly because of the music [loved the drum solo] and partly because of you describing it as being extremely dynamic. The fun is just a bonus.

Hello, Bob. I found them and they will both be going out in the AM. I hate it when I put things somewhere "safe" and then end up forgetting where that safe spot is.

Tom

 

[NorthStar]

-- Yeah, no big deal Tom; Friday's the end of the world anyway.

 

[cjfrbw]

They're saying, "If the audiophiles can hear what we are saying, they are entirely too anal."

 

[puroagave]

listening to the youtube vid (comprssed file?) thru my pc's cheap sound card and grado cans i can hear shouts from the audience and what i believe to be 'encouragement' from the band. did i win anything?

 

[edorr]

Stumbled on this thread. I own this CD but never listened to it. I'll have to try this. Volume level probably makes quite a difference. I'll play it plenty loud.

 

[A.wayne]

I recently came across this thread and found it pretty fascinating........
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...-highly-resolving-speaker-you-have-ever-heard

I've also been keenly interested in all the chatter regarding the EA MM7 versus the Magico Q7, etc.
AND given Robert Harley's recent review on the Q7, which I thought was just a tad over the top, I thought I'd provide a little test to see what exactly people are hearing out there.

A little background. I've never been much satisfied with the bizarre ways that we try to describe what we are hearing and why we prefer one system over another. As a scientist (by profession) I tend to be more of a black and white sort of person. This isn't to say that I don't appreciate the fact that there are many many things we hear that defy description. It's just that I tend more towards a sort of "I either hear it in the mix or I don't!" sort of guy.

Towards that end I've managed to track down several different tracks that have certain details and levels of resolution that allow me to very quickly ascertain the level of "resolution" of a system.
So! I would like to suggest one in particular that I like and see what everyone else out there comes up with.
BTW, I'm looking for a way to post this song online somewhere for easy access to anyone who wants to download and play along. The song amounts to 145mb in 16/44.1, so if anyone has suggestions on where to do that, I'm all for it.

Anyway, the track is:
"Castilian Drums" and it can be found on the "At Carnegie Hall" by Dave Brubeck and band.
(http://www.amazon.com/At-Carnegie-Hall-Dave-Brubeck/dp/B00005AWMW)

This track is a masterpiece of a jazz drum solo by the incredible Joe Morello. He uses a vast array of techniques throughout the solo and all of them become more obvious the greater the resolution of any given system. It is both extremely dynamic and full of subtle detail.
BUT! There is something else that comes forth on the best systems out there.
At some point during the solo another member of the band says something to Joe while he is playing.
And here in is the fun. I'm not going to tell you who says anything. I'm not going to tell you what he says. And I'm not going to tell you when he says it. That would make it all too easy.
I WILL tell you that on a truly HIGH resolution system all of these things are readily apparent. In other words, you don't have to strain to hear it.
The position within the sound stage and the tonality of the voice will tell you "WHO". As you get still better resolution you should be able to hear clearly exactly "WHAT" he says. Of course, by this point you'll also know exactly when it's said. It's not very long. Only a handful of words, actually. But it is distinct.

If you want to do this, play along nicely and don't give it away for everyone else by posting it here.
If you want to PM me I'll gladly respond.
Otherwise, I'm curious what discussions this will otherwise elicit.

Hello,

What are you using as a reference to those tracks ? Headphones ...? More than one reference ...?

 

[Champ04]

Hello,

What are you using as a reference to those tracks ? Headphones ...? More than one reference ...?

Good question.
I originally heard it through a headphone system. I had recently installed new power cable, headphone wire, and a digital cable. I was completely zoning out when all of a sudden I heard this voice so clear and distinct in a place I had never heard it before. From that point on I was dedicated to hearing it on not only my system, but I passed it along to a friend as well. It took some time to bring my regular system to the performance level that it could reproduce it as well.
Sadly, for me, it's not so much of a test any more. I've heard it in the mix so many times now that I can pick it out on even systems that I otherwise don't like.

It was also the first strong indication to me that we hear things differently depending on how focused or NOT focused we are when listening to music! And that's a whole other topic that I thought could branch off from here.

 

[Champ04]

BTW.
Amirm was the first to pretty much nail it down.
And he did it, apparently, using the Youtube track!

Are those things not compressed like crazy? Strange.

 

[edorr]

BTW.
Amirm was the first to pretty much nail it down.
And he did it, apparently, using the Youtube track!

Are those things not compressed like crazy? Strange.

Of course, a huge variable here is the hearing ability of the listener. It is perfectly conceivable someone with less good hearing and a very resolving system won't hear it, and someone with a lesser system and better hearing does. Just hedging in case I don't hear it - when we have the TV on in the living room at conversation level I often won't hear the doorbell and my wife does.

 

[Champ04]

Of course, a huge variable here is the hearing ability of the listener. It is perfectly conceivable someone with less good hearing and a very resolving system won't hear it, and someone with a lesser system and better hearing does.

Very true! And it's one of those things I've often pondered and tried (mostly in vain) to account for.
There is no doubt that I first heard it on account of a newer and higher resolving system. But there can also be no doubt, that over the years, I've become a far more discerning listener.
Knowing to what degree each is having an impact is hard to determine any more.

 

[Champ04]

Stumbled on this thread. I own this CD but never listened to it. I'll have to try this. Volume level probably makes quite a difference. I'll play it plenty loud.

Be careful with that. It's a very dynamic track.
Also, I'll throw out a hint here. It's during a relatively soft section of the drum solo. So having it loud isn't necessary.

 

[edorr]

Very true! And it's one of those things I've often pondered and tried (mostly in vain) to account for.
There is no doubt that I first heard it on account of a newer and higher resolving system. But there can also be no doubt, that over the years, I've become a far more discerning listener.
Knowing to what degree each is having an impact is hard to determine any more.

Hard to control this variable. Even calibrating by having the same listener listen to various systems won't work, because once he has spotted it on a particular system, listener calibration is out the door, because the listener will now know what to expect on the next system in the expiriment.

 

[slowGEEZR]

Ordered the CD, as well as another Brubeck CD to get the free shipping! Expected delivery is 12-26 to 12-28. This will be very fun and interesting and reminded me of another "out of place" sound coming from another of my albums, that makes me turn around every time I play it. Let me explain. My stereo system is upstairs, with an open hallway and stairway to the right, behind my listening position. When my wife comes home, she yells to me, "Hello", which is my cue to turn it down a little. Play the track, "Golden Rust", from the album, "Myles/Gurtu" (Robert Myles, Trilok Gurtu) and listen to hear the call, coming from behind your right shoulder.

 

[amirm]

BTW.
Amirm was the first to pretty much nail it down.
And he did it, apparently, using the Youtube track!

Are those things not compressed like crazy? Strange.

Thanks for the challenge! I must say despite the track being very long, it was delightful to listen to! And boy was it dynamic. I jumped out of my seat on the first bang! Never had that happen on my laptop.

On being compressed, the track is 128 kbps AAC. It had a lot of distortion in the hi-hats. It was really hard for me to listen to that and expected to not hear whatever I was supposed to hear. But when I did, it was not hard . There were softer voices though that were in the noise. So I was worried I was giving you the wrong answer. What a relief that it was the original voices I heard. Man can't live without his Internet reputation!