Posting a Video Recording of Your System Playing

PeterA

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We all post videos for different reasons, but I think mostly it is for sharing and learning, nothing more, and hardly for bragging. I began making videos to get advice from others from afar who could not hear my system in person. Then when I became more confident with how the videos portrayed the sound of my system, I shared them broader. It was not to brag, but rather to share. Early on it was to document and demonstrate how various system set up changes affected the sound of the system. Some people heard this clearly and commented while others simply complained.

Later I posted more to document and demonstrate the differences between the sound of my old system and my new system. Sometimes it was simply to share some of my music with others. I did recently post a video for something different: Black Sabbath on a vintage tube/horn system. This was in the context of a discussion about whether or not such a system can play heavy metal/rock music. I let the listener be the judge.

Most of us are confident enough in the sound of our systems and how it is represented in our system videos to not be insulted or offended by what others think. I am hear to learn, so when someone says, "All videos suck", I dismiss it as their opinion and continue with what I was doing. If someone writes they can hear the reverberation in my room and recommend some treatment, or that my cartridge is not set up properly, or the tonal balance is tilted somehow, it is a constructive criticism, and I take it as such. If I had not realized it and care to change it, I experiment more. One time, a friend suggested I alter the wooden slats of the window to cut down on a perceived glare. He was right, all from hearing the video. Criticisms don't really bother me.

Personally, I enjoy the increased exposure that these types of videos provide. I have thoroughly enjoyed Tang's and Bonzo's many videos. I like Thomask's Altec A7s and many others. Stehno's put his comments about anchoring his components into some kind of context. And quite often, I appreciate the new music introductions that videos can provide.

In the end, it is just another tool to help communicate what we are doing with others. Videos can encourage further discussion on a topic. The dealers seem to love them because they get the word out there. People click and listen because it is human nature, as Al writes. Imagine if Fremer would share a video of his before and after electrical infrastructure by making and then sharing system videos. Would we not be better off for that, especially if his videos were accompanied by his descriptive prose?

I posted what I think are the first videos of ddk's system, and with my own music even. Now people can get a glimpse into that remarkable system. Most people had never heard of the Vitavox corner horns. Now, not only can people read about these systems, they can click on a video and get some inkling of how they sound. How cool is that?
 

andromedaaudio

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I might need to bring in the secret weapon and charge my samsung while recording :) Audioquest Diamond USB C
10 % silver at only 799.

Ps I actually bought a new work phone a A 52 , i doubt it ll record much differently though.
I broke my previous phone while trying to install a Quantum science fuse :p


USB C .gif
 
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bonzo75

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BlueFox

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How the video is played back is probably more important than how it was recorded. However, rarely will a video be anything more than a low-fi audio format.
 

Al M.

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How the video is played back is probably more important than how it was recorded. However, rarely will a video be anything more than a low-fi audio format.

Low-fi sounds about right.
 

PeterA

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How the video is played back is probably more important than how it was recorded. However, rarely will a video be anything more than a low-fi audio format.

Yes, but despite the very low digital resolution, these videos can often tell us much more about the sound of one’s system then what people write about the sound of the system, and that is why some people find them so useful. And again, they are generally meant to provide additional information about a system. People are free to ignore them if they are of inadequate resolution.

What is curious to me is that despite the Low Fi format, people cannot seem to help themselves from watching them and then commenting on them on threads that I would think would be of no interest to them. I guess it’s simply human nature. Or audiophile nature. Curiosity is a powerful force.
 

Golum

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Now someone built like me can do videos...
So you're saying you're strong enough to hold a phone for 5min without moving it? :p :D
 

bonzo75

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Coach Al providing feedback to video posters

 
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Cellcbern

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Yes, but despite the very low digital resolution, these videos can often tell us much more about the sound of one’s system then what people write about the sound of the system, and that is why some people find them so useful. And again, they are generally meant to provide additional information about a system. People are free to ignore them if they are of inadequate resolution.

What is curious to me is that despite the Low Fi format, people cannot seem to help themselves from watching them and then commenting on them on threads that I would think would be of no interest to them. I guess it’s simply human nature. Or audiophile nature. Curiosity is a powerful force.
Don't recall commenting on the sound quality of a system/room based on a video nor having the urge to do so and wouldn't seek nor put any stock in comments from other posters on my system/room based on a video. I also disagree that a video, particularly a cell phone video necessarily provides more insight into a system's/room's sound than a verbal or written description. Call it "poetry" if you like but someone with educated ears and a good command of the language can easily communicate more about a system's nuances than can be gleaned from a low-fi video. That doesn't mean that you can't hear some characteristics of a system/room from a video, just not the nuances and subtleties which at the level of audio system price and quality where WBF focuses, is what will likely be the most distinguishing factor. Also doesn't mean that it can't be fun to make and share videos.
 
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andromedaaudio

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I have heard that the international governing body of the audiophile industry :

The AIS ( Audiophile Industrial Standard) will require all audio reviewers to include a you tube video with every reviewed product .
This new rule will be applied as of 1 january 2022.

The reviewed product needs to be inserted in the reviewers system for at least 3 days , cable changes or other system enhancing products are prohibited .
The video shall be a minimum of 5 min long .
If one wants to apply cable changes , fuse changes or other system enhancing products a dispensation form filled in and can be send to AIS 10 days prior to the planned change.
 
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andromedaaudio

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Reviewers will object to being told they must do it, but some will gladly to it of their own free will. Peter B is one such reviewer.
So i guess his AIS licence will not be pulled then .
The others will get a last warning and then its over .
Their credibility licence will be blocked
 

Avidlistener

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I think the only meaningful system recordings would be a line out from ones preamp recorded by an audio interface A to D people agreed upon ( that was hopefully reasonably priced) uploaded to Vimeo where the original file could be downloaded for serious evaluation and streamed for more casual review.

That would actually let one hear at least the system’s sources and preamp and power conditioning through one’s own system or headphones.

As someone who has quite a few studio (U67 and a pair of 414XLS) and film mics and done live music recordings, the mic placement itself is so variable that it really influences the recording.

That being said, if people really want to do these phone videos of the sound in their room, they should at least invest in an external mic/audio (all in one) interface to plug in. I bought the Apogee Hypemic, which has a mid sized capsule, for remote voice over work and it sounds really nice even used to record film dialog at a distance. It has built in variable analog compression, which is why I bought it, but the model below it doesn’t have compression, is only about $200 and both allow one to record to their phone or computer (via USB) and has a mini headphone jack to allow one to set gain levels, etc. Link is below.
 
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Rensselaer

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It is most useful if videos are recorded by Samsung or iPhone because anyone can have access to these two. People can get familiar with the characteristic of the sound of these recording devices. Videos below will make you aware of a typical difference of sound recorded from the two brand.

Samsung


iPhone

When compared (using Dragonfly Cobalt USB DAC and Audeze in-ear planar magnetic earphones for review) the Samsung sounds to me more real, better presence and even better PRAT (though how that can be confuses). So, in light of your point Tango, which phone records/plays more closely to what what the recorder heard when recording? Which phone gives a truer rendition?
 
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