SH Spotlight Test the midrange purity of your system and/or your computer speakers using Bing Crosby!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Jan 30, 2016.

  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    I have NO idea, sorry. Anyone?
     
  2. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    Sings Christmas Songs ? :)
    [​IMG]
     
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  3. Stefano G.

    Stefano G. Ab alto, speres alteri quod feceris.

    :shrug:
     
  4. AppleCorp3

    AppleCorp3 Forum Resident

    Any non Christmas recommendations?
     
  5. oldschool

    oldschool I love tape hiss

    Location:
    Sofia, Bulgaria
    Sounds like slight reverb exactly when he sings "by" - "fooled by(ahh) a feeling.." at :27

    Another one I think is at 1:25 "have(ahh) you been comparing.."
     
    Last edited: Feb 2, 2016
  6. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    In other words, you have the wrong idea of what an audiophile is, and it's perplexing because you hang out here.
     
  7. Joy-of-radio

    Joy-of-radio Forum Resident

    Location:
    Central ME
    Thank you for sharing this ad… This is cool! I really enjoy the perfect sense of timing Hank executed when employing "ECCO-FONIC", especially in his honkytonk numbers. When he kicks in the reverb, I associate the affect with someone slipping into a beer-induced haze. The first Hank Thompson record I heard was "Hangerovef Tavern", a classic example of what I'm talking about. Incidentally, the best-sounding single-disc HT comp IMO is Bear Family #BCD-16803-AH "A Six Pack To Go". Hank's records sound glorious on old bar-room jukeboxes of yore!
     
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  8. Stefano G.

    Stefano G. Ab alto, speres alteri quod feceris.

    I hang out here, because I love music.
    Good music remains good music even on .mp3 format or on cassette. I love originally born with good sound (audiophile?) albums like Dire Straits, Kraftwerk, Fabrizio de Andrè, The Blue Nile, Steely Dan, Police, Sade, Massive Attack, Prince, Vinicio Capossela etc. but I'd love them just the same even if they had a worse audio quality.
    That said, my concern was based on the fact of being able to pick up a reverb through the speakers of a laptop...(I think you missed the point).

    Anyway, I viscerally love low frequencies and hope that someone will soon find a fast and quick test for bass frequencies, too! (a system with great midrange, not necessarily has great low frequencies, too).
     
  9. Joy-of-radio

    Joy-of-radio Forum Resident

    Location:
    Central ME
    Interesting points guys! My favorite audiophile word is "hi-fi" (high fidelity)... Fidelity = faithfulness! How faithful is your audio system in terms of reproducing accurate sound?

    All audio systems, regardless of cost, color and distort sound to some degree. Furthermore, we as listeners often choose to color or distort the audio to our liking to the extent that we prefer specific brands of speakers, cables, headphones, and amps among other things. No two systems sound identical!

    I certainly don't claim to know everything about audio reproduction, but this I do; The hallmark of good systems is their ability to reproduce balanced and accurate sound across the entire audible spectrum. I have heard inexpensive systems pull this off beautifully, just as I have heard very expensive systems fail miserably.

    IMO, The bottom line is if your system sounds good to you, that's all that really matters.

    This thread is nothing more than Steve's clever and fun way to test a system's ability to produce faithful midrange response. Midrange is often neglected by manufacturers and listeners alike because it's very difficult to get right! Contrary to what Meghan Trainor says, it's NOT all about that bass!
     
  10. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Meghan Trainor's use of the word "bass" was a metaphor for something we aren't supposed to discuss on the forum.
     
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  11. mds

    mds Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA
    The fear for some is if you didn't hear this slight emphasis at the exact time in the recording does this mean your midrange failed? I think not. It certainly is an interesting bit of fun information to play around with but not to go crazy over. I personally believe a few folks here heard this minutiae at least not in reality but maybe in their hopes and aspirations for that "perfect" midrange reproduction. Bottom line, does your system satisfy your needs? If yes then that is truly all that matters, although many do aspire for better systems, me included, so this is a fun excercise if kept in perspective.
     
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  12. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    I tried the test last night with my current home system (Marantz 7007 receiver, youtube through Marantz SACD player app, Paradigm Atom monitor v7 speakers) and could definitely hear the difference at that point.

    So if this is an example of "bloom" then I now now how to equate that term to other recordings!
    I, too, would not have any clue as to what caused it, as well.

    @Steve Hoffman - is this the Ampex machine that Bing Crosby gave to Les Paul to experiment with multi tracking/syncing?
     
  13. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Is this the same recording/song on the Rare Ones LP?
     
  14. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Slight emphasis? Yes, your midrange failed.
     
  15. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    No, this is serial # 8 or something, Ampex 100.
     
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  16. mds

    mds Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA
    Possibly, however playing a YouTube video that is bluetoothed to a DAC and then processed through my preamp to amp to speakers is not the best test of a midrange driver. As I was trying to say, if you enjoy your speakers and the setup you have, then this is the most important test. I enjoy the midrange sound that I currently have so I am not too concerned if I "failed" the test because the difference didn't jump out and hit me over the head, oh well. Of course there is always room for improvement.
     
  17. Exile On My Street

    Exile On My Street Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I also hear a slight emphasis but nothing astounding and I certainly would not have picked up on it if it had not been brought to my attention. I have an old pair of B&Ws hooked up which had replaced some old Cerwin Vegas I had because they were much more detailed. I'm not very surprised, however, I'm well aware that I'm in need of an upgrade on my equipment. Every time I get to that point where I think I'm ready, something else always arises.
     
  18. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    The point of this exercise was to improve your crucial midband reproduction using the (once upon a time) cheap CD of Bing. A short midband purity test that was over in a few seconds so you could reposition your speakers and try it again, switch out a tube brand or two and try it again, switch cables or interconnects and try it again, switch out CD players and try it again. The point of this exercise was not to ruin your day. Little adjustments can fix suckout areas like midband sometimes without spending a dime. All I'm sayin'...

    In fact, this test was used by Tom Port and I to find a cheap CD player that reproduced accurately. We thought that was easy until we got all our buddy boys to bring their Sony, Sansui, Pioneer, etc. CD players over and one by one we tried this test. When we got to the lowly Marantz CD63, we had it and I told the world about it. Then, Marantz went and "improved" the player, made it the deluxe version or the super-duper version or whatever they called it (upping the price by 50 bucks or something in the process). We bought one at Shelley's Audio tried it out and BONGGG, the illusion was gone, vanished, slunk away, scattered, ske-daddled, went missing, was kidnapped, left town.

    So that was a bummer. If any of you have your old Marantz CD-63 (not the improved version) that was $199.00 well spent.
     
  19. Exile On My Street

    Exile On My Street Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Hey, it wasn't a total loss! I paid $0.56 for an excellent CD that sounds fantastic to my ears, even if my system 'failed' the midrange test!! :agree:

    However I will take Steve's advice and try again on my Yamaha CD player (used a Marantz to test) when I get home. Ya never know!
     
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  20. moople72

    moople72 Forum Resident

    Location:
    KC
    i don't hear it but it's interesting futzing with settings on my receiver to approximate it

    Also, Bing is very much THE MAN (nice to see the interest generated in this album) but i prefer the version of the tune i heard first by Dick Haymes:

     
  21. marcob1963

    marcob1963 Forum Resident

    Listening with Yamaha HD 400 Headphones plugged straight into my soundcard (Creative X-Fi).

    At :27 the vocals suddenly become wetter and as a result, take up more of the sound stage.

    IMO Bing's vocals sound better that way, compared to pre :27.
     
  22. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Damn.
     
  23. Stickville Jim

    Stickville Jim Active Member

    Location:
    Port Angeles, WA
    Hmmm. I played the YouTube video via ROKU, run thru my Integra DTR 80.3 and out my Focal Chorus V 836w's and REL sub. Nothing. Same thing with laptop using external speakers. I just didn't hear anything different at .27. Is it where he sings "Who'll buy a feeling"? I'm just not getting this. Hmm. I listened to the other one too and again, nothing. What am I missing here? Arrrgh!!!
     
  24. Exile On My Street

    Exile On My Street Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I have a question. Suppose you hear what Steve is talking about but it's not as blatantly obvious as it should be and were looking to upgrade, where should one start, amp or speakers? I've tested two different CD Players, a Marantz UD5007 and a Yamaha CDC-697 and the results were fairly identical. My speakers are B&W DM220i's. My amp (and likely the main culprit) is an Onkyo TX-8522.

    Any advice would be appreciated.
     
  25. Stefano G.

    Stefano G. Ab alto, speres alteri quod feceris.

    The first easy and economical thing to do is to change the position of the speakers in the room, possibly away from walls and floor (walls and floor enhance low frequencies but destroy midrange...) , taking into account that in a very small room it is always very difficult (if not impossible) to feel nuances of the sound. Before throwing the system, it is crucial to test the same system in a different room.
    As for a test like this, the room is fundamental, more than the audio system.
    Anyway, your Bowers & Wilkins speakers start immediately disadvantaged because they are "bookshelf speakers" and a bookshelf is the worst place where speakers rest...
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2016
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