If YouTube recordings sound good, why do commercial digital releases sound so bad.

[Rexp]

Here's a nice sounding video, the guy who did the sound, Tohid Vahid, also produced the track below in 2025 which also sounds good and much better than his older stuff which suggests recording tech is improving:

 

[Rexp]

Cuban music has a joyfulness to it, the capture of which seems beyond the capabilities of delta-sigma ADCs. This phone recording, likely using a SAR ADC, although a little rough certainly has the joy factor :

 

[morricab]

Here's a nice sounding video, the guy who did the sound, Tohid Vahid, also produced the track below in 2025 which also sounds good and much better than his older stuff which suggests recording tech is improving:

View attachment 146430

Yes, sounds really good. Have you tried playing this through your stereo? It seems that a lot of live recordings put up on YouTube that have minimal processing do a better job of capturing the "live" feel than most studio recordings or even produced live recordings. Clearly, whatever algorithm YouTube uses for compression is very good, and although probably not lossless, seems pretty much lossless.

 

[hopkins]

Yes, sounds really good. Have you tried playing this through your stereo? It seems that a lot of live recordings put up on YouTube that have minimal processing do a better job of capturing the "live" feel than most studio recordings or even produced live recordings. Clearly, whatever algorithm YouTube uses for compression is very good, and although probably not lossless, seems pretty much lossless.

I played it on my speakers, by casting it from my phone to my WiiM Pro. The sound is ok, but you don't get the resolution that streaming redbook CD offers, IMO. It could be due to Youtube or the "casting" method, or both.

 

[Argonaut]

Yes, sounds really good. Have you tried playing this through your stereo? It seems that a lot of live recordings put up on YouTube that have minimal processing do a better job of capturing the "live" feel than most studio recordings or even produced live recordings. Clearly, whatever algorithm YouTube uses for compression is very good, and although probably not lossless, seems pretty much lossless.

YouTube will default run H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC) iirc .

 

[DasguteOhr]

youtube use max. 256kbit sounds not worse for me. I don't known exactly that big music companies get a better resolution for extra money

 

[hopkins]

youtube use max. 256kbit sounds not worse for me. I don't known exactly that big music companies get a better resolution for extra money

It could be that specific video then. I would have to upload a CD file to Youtube, cast it, and compare it to the same file streamed directly. I'll try it with a good quality recording.

 

[DasguteOhr]

It could be that specific video then. I would have to upload a CD file to Youtube, cast it, and compare it to the same file streamed directly. I'll try it with a good quality recording.

I know when you get Pro access you have a lot options more in videoqualtiy etc.13 $/month.

 

[hopkins]

I know when you get Pro access you have a lot options more in videoqualtiy etc.13 $/month.View attachment 146807

I do have a subscription to YouTube (to get rid of the ads) and can stream up to 1080p, but I don't know how that relates to audio. Will check!

I am happy just playing videos on my phone or computer, and even if I were to play them on my speakers, I don't think I would care about having the best sound quality. But i will check...

 

[morricab]

I played it on my speakers, by casting it from my phone to my WiiM Pro. The sound is ok, but you don't get the resolution that streaming redbook CD offers, IMO. It could be due to Youtube or the "casting" method, or both.

Only heard it through headphones so far. I will take the optical digital output from my TV and run that through my Mutech reclocker into my DAC and see what this sounds like at some point. I disagree about the resolution, at least through the headphones, compared to cd...not that I have the cd of a recording of this performance.

 

[hopkins]

Only heard it through headphones so far. I will take the optical digital output from my TV and run that through my Mutech reclocker into my DAC and see what this sounds like at some point. I disagree about the resolution, at least through the headphones, compared to cd...not that I have the cd of a recording of this performance.

Yes, neither do I, I was comparing it to other tracks. Will give it another listen tonight, at higher volume...

 

[morricab]

It could be that specific video then. I would have to upload a CD file to Youtube, cast it, and compare it to the same file streamed directly. I'll try it with a good quality recording.

I listened to it again carefully with headphones and it is very highly resolved. You can hear bowing techniques, percussion decay with other instruments playing, blowing patterns with the flutes etc. Good luck hearing most of that on a studio recording.

 

[morricab]

Yes, neither do I, I was comparing it to other tracks. Will give it another listen tonight, at higher volume...

Maybe it is indicating what your stereo itself is missing?

 

[hopkins]

Maybe it is indicating what your stereo itself is missing?

That's always a possibility, but then why would I feel that other recordings offer more resolution?

 

[hopkins]

P.S. i just listened to it again, setting highest quality on YouTube (max is 720p for this video) and playing it loud. The recording is ok, but definitely limited in terms of resolution. I can't tell what is the cause: the recording, the file manipulation/upload to YouTube, or casting...

@morricab - just saw your last message. Perhaps casting is the culprit. I have not listened to it with headphones plugged in to my phone.

 

[Argonaut]

I have not listened to it with headphones plugged in to my phone.

If folks really wish to closely listen to and evaluate the fidelity of a YouTube and perhaps more prescient to members here the fidelity of audio electronics , either singularly or a system as a whole within said Youtube … then imho good quality wired headphones or IE’s really aught be the weapon’s of choice.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Exsample youtube playback(fever) via mutec reclocker &soekris dac. 256kbit

 

[Rexp]

Maybe it is indicating what your stereo itself is missing?

Yes, I don't currently have a system, just a bunch of records but even when using Sennheisers with my Samsung, Honor or Vivo phones or Macbook/HP laptops the sound goes from memorable to lift music to unlistenable.

I actually think videos like this are a good test for playback systems.

 

[hopkins]

Yes, I don't currently have a system, just a bunch of records but even when using Sennheisers with my Samsung, Honor or Vivo phones or Macbook/HP laptops the sound goes from memorable to lift music to unlistenable.

I actually think videos like this are a good test for playback systems.

Why would they be good for testing a system when you have to play them through your phone and casting to get them to play on your system? That makes no sense.

There are lots of well recorded tracks available which don't require these gymnastics

 

[hopkins]

In fact, a quick search on Qobuz with the recording engineer results in a few albums, like this one:

Open Qobuz

open.qobuz.com