Percussion Music vs Hi-End System

FullRangeMan · « **on:** 19 Oct 2014, 04:06 pm »

Not sure where to post it.
This was a charity concert of live percussion music versus the same music/performance played through a hi end/price system.
The result is to shame a audiophile how poor the speakers sounded.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lmXi1y1fzs

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #1 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 04:53 pm »

I have an old album, "Music for Percussion", on the Gale label. Gale made speakers in GB back in the day. It's by the Tristan Fry Percussion Ensemble. Will give it a spin PDQ. Haven't listened to it in years.

nexer · « **Reply #2 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 05:57 pm »

Home speakers are for the home, not for the stage.

Photon46 · « **Reply #3 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 08:10 pm »

That's a rather pointless demonstration. Home speakers, no matter how end, aren't designed to move enough air to even come close to reproducing percussion realistically in an auditorium sized venue. Put the same speakers in an appropriately sized space they can properly pressurize and they aren't going fare so poorly. Still, who in their right mind would think any audio system can reproduce realistic percussion instruments at live sound levels well enough to fool you into thinking you're hearing the real thing?

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 08:25 pm »

The point here is the price, the concerto ticket would cost $100 or so, the hi-end system would cost $100K or more.

nexer · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 09:35 pm »

We all know how much stuff costs. Good grief, don't we know.

GT Audio Works · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 10:26 pm »

I have seen this demo awhile back and I have always wondered why a manufacturer would go through the trouble of showing the shortcomings of reproduced music. It pales in comparison to the real thing. The first time I heard my sons drum kit or his electric guitar in his room, convinced me of that in about 5 seconds. This is not to say I don't enjoy my stereo every day and I don't keep trying to emulate the feel of the real thing in my listening room. It's just an apples to oranges comparison. There is no way you will ever watch a movie and be fooled into thinking you are watching a live event, same holds true for music.
I have this demo disc http://www.soundlabsgroup.com.au/p/MGR-Demo-CD/Manger+Demo+CD
and have played it at high volumes in my listening room many times. A visceral audiophile experience for sure, a real WOW factor for speaker demos. But it just sounds different in a way that I can only describe as (if you're a Star Trek fan) The music has been thru the transporter and has come out reassembled on the other side, very similar, but just not the same as the original. Why this is I do not know nor do I rack my brain at night trying to figure it out. For now,I am content to give the answer I gave to my kids
when they were in that "Why Daddy" phase. "Because it is...that's why".
The only thing that bugs me about the whole process is how readily apparent it is that the live version sounds better than the recorded version.
BUT...we are listening to the live vs recorded demo played back on computer speakers. Why do they show a difference? Should they not suffer from the same if not more flaws as the expensive playback system ?? Greg

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 10:48 pm »

So by the opinions presented here, looks all agree on the solution to this problem:
Dont buy a expensive hi-fi system, instead go to live concerts.

Early B. · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 11:18 pm »

Whenever I come home from a live concert, I appreciate my audio system even more. With a live concert, there will always be sonic issues that I cannot fix. For instance, at the last concert I went to, there was a typical problem -- the vocalist's mic wasn't loud enough, so she was constantly being drowned out by her own band. That problem will never occur on my stereo.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #9 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 11:24 pm »

Classical music concerts dont use microphones/amplification.

GT Audio Works · « **Reply #10 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 11:36 pm »

Quote from: FullRangeMan on 19 Oct 2014, 10:48 pm

So by the opinions presented here, looks all agree on the solution to this problem:
Dont buy a expensive hi-fi system, instead go to live concerts.

What is considered expensive for a system these days. I have about $15K invested in mine.
To the uninitiated, that may seem ludicrous, but to a seasoned audiophile, I think not.
I guess that depends on the depths of ones pockets.
I do not have the kind of scratch to buy that Isophon system. If I did would I buy it ??
Probably not, I need to see hard core improvement to feel such an investment is worth it. I seriously doubt a well sorted system needs that kind of cash thrown at it to make one happy.
As far as ditching the hi-fi for concerts, that's not gonna happen.
As much fun as a night out of music is, a retreat to my solace of music is just as appealing, just in a different way.

nexer · « **Reply #11 on:** 19 Oct 2014, 11:42 pm »

It's a different experience altogether. I have a stereo so I can have nice things. These are my seats at the orchestra. Right on top of the string section. A nice thing too, but there is no substitute.

Guy 13 · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Oct 2014, 01:50 am »

Hi all.
I agree that there is nothing like a live (Classical) concert.
However, even live sometimes don't sound good.
The " Place des Arts " in Montreal, Canada was well known for it's poor acoustic.
The other thing is that you cannot go the to the toilet or get some snacks from the kitchen,
but a concert is never eight hours in a row...
I all the sound systems I've listen to in my whole live, even if sound quality is exceptional,
none of them had the ambiance of live music.

Guy 13

G Georgopoulos · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 Oct 2014, 02:21 am »

Quote from: Guy 13 on 20 Oct 2014, 01:50 am

I all the sound systems I've listen to in my whole live, even if sound quality is exceptional,
none of them had the ambiance of live music.

Guy 13

oh yeah,dont they use amplification there...

kingdeezie · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 Oct 2014, 02:38 am »

Quote from: FullRangeMan on 19 Oct 2014, 10:48 pm

So by the opinions presented here, looks all agree on the solution to this problem:
Dont buy a expensive hi-fi system, instead go to live concerts.

You are comparing apples to oranges.

I think it is pretty common knowledge, that live music will always sound better than a "hi-fi system."

However, not everyone only uses their "hi-fi system," to listen to just classical music. Some people equally get enjoyment out of jazz, rock, folk, blues, metal, etc, etc, etc, on their "hi-fi system."

If I have a particular artist or song in mind, that I want to get lost in, for any myriad of reasons, I enjoy the luxury of being able to do it, for the most part, when I want.

So while it may be "better" to listen to insert artist here, live, most time it is not an option.

The "hi-fi system" gives me the availability to trick myself into believing I am listening to a performance live at any time of the year, month, week, day, season, or hour that I choose.

Sometimes an approximation of the real thing can be just as sweet.

How invaluable is that?

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 Oct 2014, 01:14 pm »

Iam comparing prices, live music prices are much more resonable.

nexer · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 Oct 2014, 01:42 pm »

Heh, well, maybe.

Sometimes the pre and post concert events can cost twice as much as your ticket.

Here in the booth seats they allow you to bring a beverage as long as it is white. But I don't like white alcohol so that's a bit of a bummer.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Oct 2014, 02:53 pm »

Now I can figure what woman think about hi fi equip.
If I not had too many discs I might change my trajectory, maybe.

kingdeezie · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Oct 2014, 03:26 pm »

Quote from: FullRangeMan on 20 Oct 2014, 01:14 pm

Iam comparing prices, live music prices are much more resonable.

Only if you compare one singular listening session to one singular live event. To do that is disingenuous, and only skews the truth to fit your opinion.

You would have to compare listening session to listening session over a period of time, say over a decade.

Lets say that there are two versions of me that choose different options.

Version 1 chooses to spend 50K on a very good hi-fi setup, that provides me with the utmost satisfaction. Averaging my listening occurrences to 3 times a week, over the course of a decade, I have spent 50K.

Version 2 chooses to forgo a hi-fi system, and instead gets his musical fix via live shows. I attend 3 shows a week on average, at the stated 100 dollars a ticket (to keep consistency), and after a decade, I have spent over 150K

The live shows have then cost me THREE times as much as the hifi system.

Now, factor in that 50K of quality gear will likely last me more than a decade, say 15 years, and the difference in price gets substantially worse for the me that has chosen to use live events as my high fidelity fix.

So, NO, live music event cost, when extrapolated over time, are not more reasonable than a hi-fi system.

nexer · « **Reply #19 on:** 20 Oct 2014, 03:49 pm »

If we're talking classical, midweek performances aren't really expensive because they're generally not put on by the big name orchestras. I don't think I could spend $2,000 per season for orchestra tickets since they don't always play what I want to hear, or if they even play that many programs per year.

I think I attended about twelve orchestra concerts last year and about ten chamber concerts, three operas.