This a really quick listening test primarily of two files together with a third file (different artist) where I would like you to later judge and compare the recording quality with either of the first two samples. A poll is attached to the thread where you can vote. You can do just this first part if you wish.
All the files are 10mb in size and are WAV lossless. Sample A and Sample B are very different but can you tell ? Do you have a preference for any one of the two ?
Having made a choice, write it down for future reference and then listen to the third file called "comparison". Although totally different (same music but different artist and recording), this is simply to see whether you like the recording quality of this file better or worse than the main file samples. Which recording would you prefer to buy and listen too ?
All choices are covered in the poll. If you just listened to A or B then vote accordingly.
If you listened to all three and (for example) thought A was better than B but you actually would buy the "comparison" file by choice then vote "I prefer comparison plus sample A" or if you liked B and did not like the comparison then vote "I prefer B and don't like comparison"
It would be good to hear your comments on the different recording styles of A or B vs the comparison
Here are the three files,
Sample A
Sample B
Comparison
All the files are 10mb in size and are WAV lossless. Sample A and Sample B are very different but can you tell ? Do you have a preference for any one of the two ?
Having made a choice, write it down for future reference and then listen to the third file called "comparison". Although totally different (same music but different artist and recording), this is simply to see whether you like the recording quality of this file better or worse than the main file samples. Which recording would you prefer to buy and listen too ?
All choices are covered in the poll. If you just listened to A or B then vote accordingly.
If you listened to all three and (for example) thought A was better than B but you actually would buy the "comparison" file by choice then vote "I prefer comparison plus sample A" or if you liked B and did not like the comparison then vote "I prefer B and don't like comparison"
It would be good to hear your comments on the different recording styles of A or B vs the comparison
Here are the three files,
Sample A
Sample B
Comparison
Ok, I just burned a CD , and took a listen from the kitchen and the sun room (that's 50 cents and three minutes I'll never get back 
).
Recordings A and B drive me out of the main room, somehow I don't like the recordings.
Recording B is relatively more tolerable because it sounds like Muzak in comparison to A...less detail, MP3 ??.
The Comparison track is altogether different....a more lively/gay performance.
Closer miked and cleaner sounding, but also lacking detail.
In this case I don't like the performance....too many flourishes/BS.
ABC in that order.
Dan.
Footnote: C is much higher level so destroys the comparison unless level matched to A & B.
).Recordings A and B drive me out of the main room, somehow I don't like the recordings.
Recording B is relatively more tolerable because it sounds like Muzak in comparison to A...less detail, MP3 ??.
The Comparison track is altogether different....a more lively/gay performance.
Closer miked and cleaner sounding, but also lacking detail.
In this case I don't like the performance....too many flourishes/BS.
ABC in that order.
Dan.
Footnote: C is much higher level so destroys the comparison unless level matched to A & B.
Listening with headphone from files using Foobar Wasapi event.
Recording level get higher, increasing from A to C.
A & B seems to be recorded in a box, reduced soundstage, however B is prefered
More dynamics in B vs A.
C sounds best to me. But all 3 records samples are bandwith limited...
Regards
Phil
Recording level get higher, increasing from A to C.
A & B seems to be recorded in a box, reduced soundstage, however B is prefered
More dynamics in B vs A.
C sounds best to me. But all 3 records samples are bandwith limited...
Regards
Phil
Karl, thanks for the new test!
The Comparison file is too loud, it is a shock to listen to it after A or B. If you do not mind, I have reduced its volume by -4.6dB, so it is similarly loud as A and B now. The link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dktjiko9op9q47x/Comparison_pm.wav?dl=0
I am missing one option - I prefer comparison and do not like A and B
The Comparison file is too loud, it is a shock to listen to it after A or B. If you do not mind, I have reduced its volume by -4.6dB, so it is similarly loud as A and B now. The link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dktjiko9op9q47x/Comparison_pm.wav?dl=0
I am missing one option - I prefer comparison and do not like A and B
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I have downloaded all of your 3 files, Karl. Comparing A and B, I have no preferences. In classical music, I ask for adequate technical quality. A and B both sound to me like historical recordings, or cassette player or similar degradation. I know that Arthur Rubinstein was a great pianist but I have troubles to listen to his recordings today, e.g. Gould and Gulda are excellent as well, though their recordings still suffer from low technical quality. Maurizio Pollini's recordings are perfect, but his interpretation is a bit on a cold side.
I burned these to a CD and listened through speakers. I will only comment on the audio as opposed to the performances. I couldn't tell any difference between A & B, and my choice of A was really just arbitrary. They both have some unpleasant/distracting high frequency noise, which gets worse the louder the music gets. It almost sounds like undamped strings, but I don't know. After listening to them both, C sounded sort of primitive in comparison. The stereo field seemed much narrower, almost like a mono recording. It was louder, obviously, but it seemed oddly compressed. I could describe it this way: if A and B were drawn with a calligraphy pen, C was drawn with a magic marker. I strongly preferred the calligraphy pen. I'll be interested to learn the results of your experiment; thanks for posting it.
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Thanks for giving them a proper listen. I think the noise you describe could be the pianists finger nails on the keys (maybe).
The comments are proving very interesting.
And remember to vote folks
I think you're quite right about that. I managed to stop myself from reading past the original post so I wouldn't be influenced. It might be nice to have the ability to hide the poll comments until the end of the poll.
Karl, this type of recording requires me to fully warm up, optimise the PC gear - I've been tripped up in the past by piano qualities which are falsely emphasised by aspects of cold playback sound; it also is stimulating lots of voice coil rub, .
This a roundabout way of saying that I will give my impressions a bit later - I have deliberately avoided looking at any responses so far.
As far as the recording styles are concerned, this doesn't bother me in the slightest - each recording is an event in itself to me, and is listened to with me respecting its integrity as a capture of a musical situation ... asking me which is "better", is like asking a mother which is her favourite child ...
.This a roundabout way of saying that I will give my impressions a bit later - I have deliberately avoided looking at any responses so far.
As far as the recording styles are concerned, this doesn't bother me in the slightest - each recording is an event in itself to me, and is listened to with me respecting its integrity as a capture of a musical situation ... asking me which is "better", is like asking a mother which is her favourite child ...
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