System videos: Jazz

[Rexp]

Recorded with an Oppo phone:

 

[hopkins]

How to make a saxophone sound like a kazoo.

 

[hopkins]

Recorded with an Oppo phone:

In all seriousness, have you compared, with headphones preferably, that video with a version of that track on any streaming service? It is striking how the sound of Ammons' saxophone on that video lacks depth in comparison. In the album, you can hear a lot more texture. I'm not so sure that the tonal balance of those speakers is very good either. The system video is a little unpleasant to me. The video recording on a phone probably exacerbates the sound signature of the system. I've heard this type of sound before, and I don't really appreciate it. I don't find it very relaxing. Maybe I am being a little picky. There are certainly positive aspects as well. What do you think? What is it that you like about it?

 

[hopkins]

You can listen, for example, to a five second segment between 0:22 and 0:27 to see how the high notes on the saxophone sound aggressive in that system video compared to the streaming version. Here's is the track cued to that segment (from a version where the saxophone is centered on both channels, not panned to the left as in some others):

And here is the system video cued to the same spot:

Notice the difference? Is it a question of preference? There may be other aspects that one appreciates, but to me this is a deal-breaker.

 

[hopkins]

I'll add that in this case, the videos are interesting to see the broad differences between sound signatures. At the risk of being told this sounds like crap (which is not a problem), here's the same track recorded with one of my cheap Teufel speakers, cued up to the same part of the track:

The sound is lower.
To my ears, this is more relaxing, even if it sacrifices on some other aspects. You can't have it all
By far, the best sound is the streaming version (which you could call an "official" YouTube version if you want, though there are multiple versions of this album).

 

[Rexp]

 

[Rexp]

 

[hopkins]

The sound is big and open, there is good bass, but it's difficult to tell on a video how accurate the sound of the individual instruments are. It all sounds a little "off" to me. One guy even comments:



I don't know about that, but the saxophone sure does sound a little nasal.
I'm getting tired of listening to system videos! Will stop commenting on them.