Better way to communicate what it really sounds like?

BasicHIFI

New member
Jan 6, 2015
15
0
0
Visit site
After reading countless audit reviews in words, reviews of amplifiers, and speakers especially, I am left wondering if there is a better way to convey the way a certain piece of equipment sounds - either through an audio clip, video clip and also through graphic representation of sound such as response graphs and a visual representation of stereo imaging- is such a thing is possible? Is it not possible at least to use reference material that is available for the general public to download on the internet to perform the review with? Or perhaps run some of these test tracks and comment on them? For those of us with lesser equipment, maybe a artificial emphasis of a particular sound, for example treble distortion, or 'coloration' of music could be demonstrated through suitable processing of music? The year is 2015 after all, soon it will be 2020.
 

chebby

Well-known member
Jun 2, 2008
1,253
26
19,220
Visit site
BasicHIFI said:
After reading countless audit reviews in words, reviews of amplifiers, and speakers especially, I am left wondering if there is a better way to convey the way a certain piece of equipment sounds - either through an audio clip, video clip ...

This part of your idea will not work. If you listen to a £10,000 system on youtube through a pair of cheap cans plugged into a laptop then it tells you nothing. It can only ever - at best - sound like the system you play it on.

If there were any way possible to hear a £10,000 system reproduced faithfully (as the reviewer heard it) on a lesser system then we'd all be using it to save £10,000 but still have the same sound.
 

chebby

Well-known member
Jun 2, 2008
1,253
26
19,220
Visit site
Or we could all adopt the same standard terminology to aid communication ...

Glossary of audio terminology

Maybe we could all learn how to listen ...

Harman's 'How To Listen' downloads for Mac and Windows.

I am sure that would do a lot to raise the level of debate in these forums and reviewing in general. (Although it won't fix the 'cut 'n paste' school of hi-fi journalism that has become the norm in recent years.)
 

BasicHIFI

New member
Jan 6, 2015
15
0
0
Visit site
First of all, thanks for the valuable links. I have a better idea of what all those words really mean in HiFi reviews- 'chesty, 'bright' and so on. I hope to use those in my reviews. The software you posted is intriguing, surely there is similar software that What Hi-FI? magazine could offer, or at least a sample audio download?

This brings me to my other point. I will never be able to evaluate low bass response on my inbuilt laptop speakers, but there must be some effect higher up the Hi Fi evolutionary chain that is audible on lower end equipment? It may cause you some amusement to know that I did watch some of the online videos of 'speaker system for $500,000' at some Hi-Fi shows. The music sounded closer to live, but then I was probably mistaken. Here, for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCqUQxpDB48

The "How to Listen" is one of the other tools I had in mind - digitized audio in high quality - I believe the word is high resolution - for enthusiasts to play on their own systems and evaluated how they sound.
 

Vladimir

New member
Dec 26, 2013
220
7
0
Visit site
BasicHIFI said:
First of all, thanks for the valuable links. I have a better idea of what all those words really mean in HiFi reviews- 'chesty, 'bright' and so on. I hope to use those in my reviews. The software you posted is intriguing, surely there is similar software that What Hi-FI? magazine could offer, or at least a sample audio download?

This brings me to my other point. I will never be able to evaluate low bass response on my inbuilt laptop speakers, but there must be some effect higher up the Hi Fi evolutionary chain that is audible on lower end equipment? It may cause you some amusement to know that I did watch some of the online videos of 'speaker system for $500,000' at some Hi-Fi shows. The music sounded closer to live, but then I was probably mistaken. Here, for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCqUQxpDB48

The "How to Listen" is one of the other tools I had in mind - digitized audio in high quality - I believe the word is high resolution - for enthusiasts to play on their own systems and evaluated how they sound.

That youtube video is someones amateur attempt at Windows Movie Maker presentation with few pics from the net and some dubious mp3 playing as background.

I can't comment on the golden boombox except on its stupidity. But let's not spoil the thread. :)
 

CnoEvil

New member
Aug 21, 2009
556
13
0
Visit site
The idea of a review is only to bring products to your attention....if it piques your interest, then a demo is in order.
 

BasicHIFI

New member
Jan 6, 2015
15
0
0
Visit site
Is there no way to use multimedia instead of or in addition to the written word to communicate how much an audio device 'approaches reality'?
 

BasicHIFI

New member
Jan 6, 2015
15
0
0
Visit site
This thread has many of the questions and answers that I am looking for. Following with interest.

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/loudspeakers-measure-bad-sound-good

Perhaps some audio equipment manufacturers are artists - intepreting music - or are they just intent on making a profit?

Thanks Vladimir
 

Vladimir

New member
Dec 26, 2013
220
7
0
Visit site
Art is skilled proces of creating something in one unique piece or very small series in order to make a statement. When you design speakers there is skill involved, however the final creation is a product for mass manufacturing with intention to sell and profit. And when you make a product for profit you don't make statements, you make neccessary compromises in order to stay in business.

When large corporation wish to celebrate their success on the market and boost their brand, they create a statement product. Their best, without compromisses and without intention to directly profit from selling it. Usualy a celebrity designer is hired externally if none available inhouse. This is as close to art the hi-fi industry ever gets. These statement hi-end products are made in very small series and actually most were made and sold at a loss. However, the gain is that they sell more of the standard compromized products by using the statement product shining like a marketing beacon, calling the buyers like a mermaid. The consumer flirts with the idea that when he buys from the bottom of the range, somehow still the statement product DNA is trickled down to his own purchase. In the end it all comes down to doing business, nothing to do with art.

When a speaker designer voices a speaker for mass sales, its with intention to reach a certain targeted consumer type according to their lifestyle. When the design is for a statement product, then design and voicing may be more of an abstract.
 

BasicHIFI

New member
Jan 6, 2015
15
0
0
Visit site
I tried out the Tidal Hi=Fi test site.

Results:
"Two in five correct, not bad!
Are you sure you have connected your audio system correctly? Check and try again."

Using headphones and my aged surround sound system I could barely hear any difference in the music played between samples A and B.

So am I connected to a Hi-Fi system? These are my audio tracks sound almost the same over my headphones. Ah well. Report back when I have found a proper Hi-Fi system. Both the FLAC and the other file are almost the same in my system.
 

Vladimir

New member
Dec 26, 2013
220
7
0
Visit site
I had the same result through my AKG K702s. I'm just not hearing the differences even when I'm sure I do. Maybe a trained listener would get a 5/5 but not me in a million years.
 

BasicHIFI

New member
Jan 6, 2015
15
0
0
Visit site
I listened to a you tube video of the KEF Q 700 speakers. I will post the link, however I could tell these were quality speakers, with the lowest bass distorting on my headphones, and the instruments sounding rather natural. The bass was pretty well defined as well. Someday I would like to have one - make that two. Is it possible to evaluate Hi-Fi through this tenous electronic chain? Audio source > amplifier > Q 700 > Ears vs Audio source > amplifier > Q 700 > mic > MP4? > YouTube> PC sound 'card' > Headphones > Ears Of course the full spectrum of sound is unlikely to make it unchanges, however it will be possible to detect any distortion across the audible - make that received audible spectrum and even make a few educated guesses about the rest of the sound?
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts