The WBF Video Tour of T.H.E. Show 2023

[PeterA]

Thank you for explaining.

There is a third possibility: that sounds from systems composed of currently produced components hastily set-up by dealers in mostly similar rooms exhibit less variance in sound than do systems composed of a mix of currently produced and not currently produced components meticulously set-up by hobbyists in dissimilar rooms in homes.

Certainly. You are welcome.

I have been to shows before and have heard a big range of sounds. I presume those shows had the same challenges that you describe here. This is what I referenced when answering your earlier questions about my judgement. I guess my question to you, Ron, is this: Does your video reflect, in your opinion, more or less, the sounds of the various systems, or does it not? If some more than others, why?

There was a time when I viewed videos thinking that the video more or less represents the sound of the system being captured on it. But having read this thread and others, there seem now to be all sorts of qualifications out there, from your Shure mic being better than the crappy iPhone mic, inches of mic position making a difference (why I asked about your set up), differences between phone models etc. It would be helpful to me if you commented, even briefly, about your opinion of the video compared to what you heard live. All I have is your video. You were there and did us all the service of making the video and sharing it on your WBF video channel. What are your thoughts about how well it captures what you heard?

Maybe people enjoy the montage/survey of the roughly 44 songs you recorded for the visuals and have no interest in discussing the sound it captures. That is fine too, but it is out there, and I am curious. As I wrote, I liked the "Spinning Wheel" song and the way it sounded. It stood out to me as being a bit more alive sounding.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I guess my question to you, Ron, is this: Does your video reflect, in your opinion, more or less, the sounds of the various systems, or does it not?

It depends on your definition of "more or less." I think the sounds on the video approximately represent the tonal balance and the resolution of the sounds I heard in the rooms.

Beyond tonal balance and resolution we disagree on the utility and efficacy of videos (but we don't have to re-hash those disagreements).

 

[Ron Resnick]

I liked the "Spinning Wheel" song and the way it sounded. It stood out to me as being a bit more alive sounding.

I think "Spinning Wheel" was played louder than most other tracks in most other rooms. I think that's all you're picking up on through the video.

If you were in that room listening to that song I am pretty sure you would have critiqued it as "hi-fi sounding" and "unbalanced."

 

[PeterA]

I think "Spinning Wheel" was played louder than most other tracks in most other rooms. I think that's all you're picking up on through the video.

If you were in that room listening to that song I am pretty sure you would have critiqued it as "hi-fi sounding" and "unbalanced."

I don't know what that room is. It has a Cardas wire sign, Boulder and Nagra electronics, and a TW Acoustics turntable. All three cuts sound decent, the last one being on vinyl. Don't know about hifi sounding, but that room sounded more alive with some energy and dynamics from the system, at least to me over the video relative to most of the other 44 cuts.

Which was your favorite room?

 

[Ron Resnick]

I don't know what that room is. It has a Cardas wire sign, Boulder and Nagra electronics, and a TW Acoustics turntable. All three cuts sound decent, the last one being on vinyl. Don't know about hifi sounding, but that room sounded more alive with some energy and dynamics from the system, at least to me over the video relative to most of the other 44 cuts.

Which was your favorite room?

My favorite big room was Gryphon. My favorite small room was Songer.

 

[morricab]

My favorite big room was Gryphon. My favorite small room was Songer.

Where was the small/ big cutoff? I would, for example consider my speakers as medium sized.

 

[bonzo75]

My favorite big room was Gryphon. My favorite small room was Songer.

doesn’t clarify which room you preferred more

 

[bonzo75]

There is a third possibility: that sounds from systems composed of currently produced components hastily set-up by dealers in mostly similar rooms exhibit less variance in sound than do systems composed of a mix of currently produced and not currently produced components meticulously set-up by hobbyists in dissimilar rooms in homes.

No. While incorrectly or hastily set up systems could all sound bad, they wouldn’t sound similar, with such different gear especially with different music and recordings played on them

 

[Steve williams]

My favorite big room was Gryphon. My favorite small room was Songer.

Totally agree. Mine as well

 

[Steve williams]

doesn’t clarify which room you preferred more

I think he said it perfectly. Totally different systems.

 

[davidavdavid]

Gryphon managed to make the most of their big room at the show. They tamed the "eccentricities" of the room and assembled a system which worked better than others in their respective spaces.

T.H.E Show managed to be a show mostly about speakers than anything else. I say this because of all those who were in attendance with me when we started breaking down our perspectives on gear that moved the needle the discussions were focused primarily on speakers.

My favourite smaller/standard room at the show was the one highlighting the Wolf von Langa SON speakers.

Re: electronics special mention to Westminster Labs and Margules.

 

[Steve williams]

My favourite smaller/standard room at the show was the one highlighting the Wolf von Langa SON speakers

I agree. It was my 3rd favorite room. I was simply stunned by these speakers

 

[tima]

I agree. It was my 3rd favorite room. I was simply stunned by these speakers

They (WVL SON) play bigger than they look. The field-coil driver is well integrated with the AMT tweeter.

 

[gestalt]

I agree. It was my 3rd favorite room. I was simply stunned by these speakers

Thanks Steve, it was a pleasure to meet you!

We had quite a lot of shipping damage and ended up making the best out of a system that was different than we intended. Please come visit us again at the California Audio Show or Capital Audio Fest to (hopefully) hear everything at its potential.

 

[Steve williams]

Id love to hear some of the big brothers to that speaker. Plus it was exquisitely made. I have to say Colin that there were many speakers at THE Show in the same price range as yours. They were all good but none in the same class as yours

 

[Al M.]

It depends on your definition of "more or less." I think the sounds on the video approximately represent the tonal balance and the resolution of the sounds I heard in the rooms.

I don't believe this is the case. Compared to what I have heard in person at the show from several of the systems featured, I simply do not recognize the sound from the video.

Yet it's nice to see the compilation of systems in the video, refreshes some memories of the ones I heard.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I re-listened to my show video tour on the desktop iMac. Peter, the sounds in the rooms sound materially different to me.

 

[PeterA]

I re-listened to my show video tour on the desktop iMac. Peter, the sounds in the rooms sound materially different to me.

I don’t quite understand Ron. Are you saying the various systems sound different from each other on the video or are you now saying the video does not represent the tone and resolution of the systems you heard live?

To me, the systems all have a sameness to them over the video. Do you agree or disagree with that?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I don’t quite understand Ron. Are you saying the various systems sound different from each other on the video or are you now saying the video does not represent the tone and resolution of the systems you heard live?

To me, the systems all have a sameness to them over the video. Do you agree or disagree with that?

how long did it take for Ron to discover the best approach to get optimal differences in video's of his own system showing changes clearly? how much of that was finding the right spot in his room to get the most revealing recording? lots of trial and error.

so video's of a bunch of strange rooms and systems are going to be a bit homogenized relatively. how can they not be? unless you took multiple captures from various spots at various levels and reviewed them.

maybe other approaches and other tools somehow 'get' clearer info on differences? but maybe are not 'net' as good in other ways?

lots of unknowns with videos.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Are you saying the various systems sound different from each other on the video or are you now saying the video does not represent the tone and resolution of the systems you heard live?

I am saying the various systems sound different from each other on the video.

To me, the systems all have a sameness to them over the video. Do you agree or disagree with that?

It depends what you mean by "sameness."

I think all videos have a digital sameness and a sonic flatness sameness.

With regard to the show tour video I hear material differences in tonal balance and in resolution.