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So many YouTube clips to evaluate sound quality. Why???

There are several audio gear Youtubers chronically playing clips displaying speakers and amplifiers and even cables to have YouTube listeners evaluate sound quality.  And then they go to shows and display music clips from the very small Hotel rooms.  And yes I watch a few and some can be interesting. It's gotta be tough for these manufactures to go to these hotels all the time and deal with all the people. Basically, it's a mixture of all kinds of higher end components and somehow it's possible to appreciate what individual components sound like. $200,000 speakers surrounded by lots of other high-priced gear. How does one charge anything?

Are they trying to fool people with sound comparison music clips? What is the point and why are they wasting their time?  Maybe headphones might detect something.  I fail to appreciate why these individuals do this, and why do they dedicate so much time to this.  Are they being paid to promote speakers and amplifiers?  And then reading the comments where all these people seem to really believe they hear differences.

Time might be better spent explaining technical merits of the gear and opinions on how it sounds. And why their recommended gear is so expensive.  
 

 

emergingsoul
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cleeds
5,652 posts
 
emergingsoul

Really good recording quality songs sounds great on any system.

That’s probably true, but YouTube uses lossy compressed audio, and it sounds like it, especially on a real audio system. I think most YT creators hope to become influencers, and some certainly strive to create a niche for themselves. We’ve seen a few do that here on A’gon.

marantz33's avatar
marantz33
35 posts
 

@pabs85 nailed it. You can't discern much from these clips but you can discern something. I find it is usually about the character of the speaker dynamic versus laid back. Plus just looking at them is gear porn.

shooter41
63 posts
 

I used to be completely dismissive about these videos but then I began noticing that you can hear some differences provided the poster has set it up correctly. Obviously no critical listening can happen over YouTube, but, as others have said, you can get a taste of what a particular speaker sounds like and can certainly pick a favorite among two or more that are properly compared. I’m much more cynical towards other equipment, cables, etc. than I am speakers, but who knows, maybe I’ll come around on those someday, too.

I should add that I have a pair of fairly good Audioengine powered speakers connected to my iMac, with very good headphones available if I'm really interested.

emergingsoul OP
920 posts
 

Jays YouTube site seems to be most prolific with sound clip vids on speaker that cost like $400,000.

Absurd someone spends this much money on speakers.  My guess these things are on loan since he's got new speakers every other week.  To keep the same speakers means he loses his viewers.

 


 

moonwatcher
337 posts
 

@bruce19 your post is what audio formats YouTube accepts, not what it actually provides on the viewer end. It takes your source files and transcodes them to whatever lossy codec they use as part of H.264 or VP9 video encoding. Knowing they accept lossy files to begin with doesn't exactly inspire confidence. LOL. 

In general I take any so-called sound samples done by YouTubers with a HUGE grain of salt. We have no way of knowing all the variables and there are many. What mics are being used, what preamps, how were the mics spaced and oriented (ORTF, XY, etc.), what the room was like, how loud were the speakers being played, etc., ad infinitum ad nauseum. 

I have listened to such samples though just for fun and have used them to discover good albums such as Grace Mahya - Last Live At Dug. 

Sometimes YouTubers will make lossless downloads available for you to listen to via headphones so you aren't listening to two rooms at one time.  Even then the variables are too many to make a valid comparison, but hey, they can still be fun. No harm in a bit of fun. 

Currently GR Research and New Record Day are going this route with some songs done 3 different ways (assume 3 different speaker setups maybe?) and want to get feedback from viewers as to what they heard and why they prefer one over the other. Interesting. 

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