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In Reply to: RE: The Tracks............. posted by Todd Krieger on February 13, 2010 at 13:21:19
There may be differences in sound staging despite the minimal complexity of these recordings, but this is unlikely to come out when listening on headphones, since all sound stages are unnatural with phones. In addition, rapid switching back and forth will miss any of the fatigue aspects of a format, as fatigue picked up on one format will migrate to the other.
Once you get into the spirit of the ABX test you get into heavy analytic mode and focus on making decisions, thereby using a different part of the mind than that which enjoys music. So it is entirely possible for two components to sound the same in ABX tests and yet yield different musical enjoyment. The same can happen with formats, but I don't think this will be a big deal with simple material. Quite a different situation with a Mahler symphony, however!
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
Follow Ups:
So it is entirely possible for two components to sound the same in ABX tests and yet yield different musical enjoyment.Funny, in my perception it is exactly the reverse.
When AB(X)ing I’m focused on the sound. Comparing e.g WASAPI with DS I hear the differences. E.g. the piano forte is more detailed in WASAPI.
The moment I start listening to music these differences are totally irrelevant.
The beauty of Schubert’s string quintet in C - D.956 (most beautiful score ever written) is so strong that DS, WASAPI, KS, name it, with all their slight differences doesn’t matter at all.
So it is completely possible to hear differences when AB(X)ing but these differences are totally irrelevant when confronted with shear beauty.
The Well Tempered Computer
Edits: 02/14/10
" . . . The beauty of Schubert’s string quintet in C - D.956 (most beautiful score ever written) . . . "
Most beautiful score is clearly "Fantasia on a Theme By Thomas Tallis" by Vaughan Williams....
My post disappeared so I'll try again.
Listening tests are a problem for me. I get bored and lose concentration if the music bores me. However, if I like the music, I get involved and stop listening for sound differences. I'm very cautious about my ability to hear differences reliably.
> The beauty of Schubert’s string quintet in C - D.956 (most beautiful
> score ever written)
I have hundreds of favorite classical works and a similar number of favorite pop songs, Broadway shows and jazz tracks. The one I'm listening to has an impact unmatched by the memory of the work I listened to yesterday. For me, there is a new winner in the most beautiful contest every day.
Bill
Some people don't care about sound quality. My wife is a pianist and she never paid much attention to recorded sound quality, because, as she put it, she listens to what the musicians were thinking rather than the sound reaching her ears. However, some recorded sound is edgy and can create tension, headaches, etc. If your recording of the Schubert has these characteristics then you might not be so happy after listening to the complete piece. You might not catch these problems in A-B listening.
I would go with the 1952 Casals, Tortelier version of the Schubert. Wet string and tin cans would suffice with this music. :-)
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
Hi Tony,
Really like your thoughtful responses over the years I've visited here.
Since I'm not a classical afficianado, any recommendation on a good/complex Mahler piece I should try out?
"Since I'm not a classical afficianado, any recommendation on a good/complex Mahler piece I should try out?"
I have a huge bunch of Mahler symphonies, multiple recordings of all of them, on tape, LP, RBCD and hi-res. I haven't done sample rate conversion tests recently, but the Darlington Mahler 6 on Acousense (from Linn Records) has lots of high frequency energy from the brass (up to 48 kHz, as the tracking was done at 96 kHz and then analog mixed and digitized at 192 kHz). At the opposite extreme, you can go with the Timerkanov Mahler 5 on Water Lily which you can get at HDtracks.com in an 88/24 PCM transfer from the SACD made by Bruce B. This is highly dynamic and minimally miked. It sounds great on my system if played at full concert volume, but needs about 8 dB more gain than the average recording to achieve this (and accordingly more headroom in the amp and speakers). If played at lower gain it fails to come alive, and so has gotten bad reviews.
You might try any of the Mahler symphonies done by Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony. If you are not a Mahler fan, start with symphony number 1 or 4 if you are interested in getting into the music.
I'm sure some of the other inmates will have other suggestions.
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
Excellent recommendations Tony! Will look into getting them!
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