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. dachada

    dachada Senior Member

    Location:
    FL
    the behind of scenes
     
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Anyone else have fun with Bing recently?
     
  3. paulmock

    paulmock Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA
    FYI, 40th anniversary of his passing is coming up very soon.
     
    Steve Hoffman likes this.
  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    This.
     
  5. tlainhart

    tlainhart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massachusetts, USA
    I've tried this test a number of times since you posted it, trying both what you referenced on YT and what's available on Google Music. On Google Music, regardless of system, I can't hear the room at the designated time. YT I can (more so). The YT copy has less distortion than the GM copy. Is it possible that there's two different masters of this out there?
     
  6. Pants Party

    Pants Party MOSTLY PEACEFUL

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Always. Always have fun with Bing. Bing was such a wonderfully delicate singer with perfect inflection, tone and control. And, Steve, your mid-range test only revealed my system's weakness. I heard enough to know what I'm missing.
     
  7. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Anyone else find their missing midrange?
     
  8. Crush87

    Crush87 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    I unfortunately haven't been able to replicate this at all. Bummer
    Reciver: Marantz 2238b
    Speakers: Technics sb-2760
    Digital: music streamer II dac
     
  9. Boy Blue

    Boy Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington
    Yes, the test helped me evaluate speakers very recently.
     
  10. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Good. I used it as well as a quick and dirty midrange purity test on some tiny nearfields I was auditioning.
     
  11. Pants Party

    Pants Party MOSTLY PEACEFUL

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Are you basically looking for the BIGGEST effect/the better the mid?
     
  12. theanswer337

    theanswer337 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona
    Have yet to experience that a-ha moment. I have tried it on my main system, my outdoor system as well as thru a few sets of cans. :shake:
     
  13. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Yeah. Not too much, but I do want to hear it. Some mini-monitors have NO midband whatsoever.
     
  14. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Let me just elaborate a bit. at :27 when he sings "FOOLED BY A FEELING..." you should hear the PA system in the CBS studio reverberate around the little studio back to his vocal microphone for that phrase. Caught (of course) because his vocal passage is sharp and not smoothly sung. Try it yourself in a bathroom or stairwell. Sing the smooth phrase and then sing the clipped "fooled by a feeling" part and hear the echo come back to you. Your personal midrange magic.

    Please note that the song (as all songs were in those days) has NO echo chamber in the recording chain. So, there is no reverb on the recording at all except what is caught by the "clipping" PA system bouncing around the small studio theater at Columbia Square. Carry on, find your midrange!
     
    ivor likes this.
  15. pdxway

    pdxway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Unfortunately, I think my playback chains failed.

    I tried cheap headphone via my Samsung phone with youtube app, can hear brief half second echo, but not any further details about the room.

    I tried cheap headphone via ipad with youtube app, same brief echo, no further details about the room.

    I tried Roku 2 via youtube app ->my receiver-> receiver preout to Parasound amp -> Paradigm speakers. I can hear echo, but no further details about the room. I can‘t sense how big is the room. I can't hear where the PA is located. I can't hear any further reverb trail other than the initial brief half second echo.

    Will see if CD will do any better.....
     
  16. Kiss73

    Kiss73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    You know you have far too many Bing Crosby CD's, when not only does Amazon reminds you that you already bought this some years ago, but it then takes some 20minutes to find it on the shelves.

    And look at all those other people that bought a copy too!!
     
    BeatlesBop likes this.
  17. pdxway

    pdxway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Just ordered a used copy from https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000002O2W?ref_=mw_olp_product_details. Hopefully is the correct one.
     
  18. ijustdontknow

    ijustdontknow Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Diego
    I would never claim to have the same critical listening skills as many on this board, but over the past few years since I first started lurking, I've learned a tremendous amount. I "think" I can hear what Steve describes on my simple Emotiva system connected to my computer via rca cable through a schiit modi2 uber. I've ordered the CD on Amazon, not only to give it a more critical listen, but also because as I was listening to the youtube streaming, I realized how much I would enjoy listening to the entire CD. Knowing me, I will keep listening over and over until I can figure out if I really do hear anything.
     
    BeatlesBop likes this.
  19. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    You learn what to listen for, and then you enjoy. I'm sure you've got it. Enjoy the disk!
     
    Grant and ijustdontknow like this.
  20. Spinmeout

    Spinmeout Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    You're all insane
     
  21. konut

    konut Prodigious Member. Thank you.

    Location:
    Whatcom County, WA
    Thank you for noticing!
     
  22. pdxway

    pdxway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Hi Steve,

    I got your CD (my first Steve Hoffman CD! :goodie:) this morning and listened to song 1 and 14. Vocal sounded great!

    However, I am disappointed that I still not hearing the "swamp of PA reverbs" as you described. I heard a sudden loudness and a little reverb only.

    In your original post, you mentioned that you switched out the Adcom with McIntosh 30s and was swamped by the PA reverbs. I read that tubes amp is susceptible to microphonics. May I know if your JBL is in a small room, next to the McIntosh 30's amp when you did the listening? I am just wondering if that swamp of PA reverbs could be partially due to microphonics....

    Again, I enjoyed the two songs this morning with my stereo setup. Simply excellent vocal!
     
  23. spaulding

    spaulding Hoi Polloi

    Location:
    The Windy City
    Anyone know of any vinyl side or song or moment that provides this type of unique testing for my mids??
     
    Crush87 likes this.
  24. Reamonnt

    Reamonnt Mr.T

    Location:
    Ireland
    I hear a slight raise in volume and maybe a sligtly deeper bass on my budget Q Acoustics 2020i nearfield listening.
     
  25. Chiliarches

    Chiliarches Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago Suburbs
    I have heard this somewhat on every system I have tried - Schiit Fulla 2 through earbuds and a set of cans, iPhone speaker, Cornwalls powered by my Yamaha A-S2000, and Paradigm mini-monitors on my desk powered by a Kenwood power amp with the Schiit Fulla 2 as the preamp...

    Desk setup was probably the best.

    In no case was it something that would have "jumped out" at me as highly unusual, but I was able to hear it - slight reverb, especially on the word "feeling."

    Probably not good enough?
     

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