[LCA13]

Youtube has a bad reputation when it comes to audiophiles, mainly because people still think all you get is MP3 quality.  While music on Youtube is indeed compressed, it uses the Opus codec which produces a quite accurate reproduction of the original.  What I'd like to do is have some local listeners come to my place and hear my setup and then come back and post here. I bet there will be eyebrows raised.  I run Youtube on an Amazon Firecube to a Denon Preamp/DAC to a Hafler DH-250 and finally to a pair of JBL L5's.  The system produces a beautiful deep soundstage.

I simply think the vastness of the Youtube catalog is more than enough to offset any compression loss in quality (which in my case I can't hear anyway as most compression takes place above 12KHz, frequencies at age 60 I can't hear anyway).  Yet I find a reluctance for audiophiles to take it seriously. I think my setup will change some opinions.

So would anyone be of interest to come to my place and check Youtube out?  I live in Spanish Lake St. Louis

[MttBsh]

I love listening to concert recordings by my favorite artists and have found tons of professionally recorded live performances/livestreams on Youtube that aren't available anywhere else. I use a program called Allasoft to download the audio to a hard drive and sometimes use Wavepad Sound Editor to tweak/remaster to my liking. The results are generally as good, sometimes better than officially released live albums. Opus codec apparently does an excellent job of preserving the sound transfer to Youtube. I appreciate your offer LCA13 to come to St Louis to check it out, but I am already convinced here in Seattle! Thanks for your post.

[Mag]

   I think Youtube is a good source for finding some rare recordings like the Phantom of the Opera with Sarah Brightman & Antonio Banderos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9qLfyLowjg&ab_channel=TheShowsMustGoOn%21
Perhaps as you say Youtube's MP3 has improved over the years, if you want to hear the enhanced version of this video recording then come to my place.

[vinyldavid]

Hi!

I’m in Spanish Lake, too.

I’d love to come listen, and extend the invitation once I get my place in some shape to host others, invite you to audition what I’ve got.

So, YouTube compresses everything-not just information above 12khz.  Compression algorithms work by throwing away information, and that’s unrecoverable.  YouTube audio quality has come up quite a bit in recent years, but so many uploads are done from poor quality sources that would sound bad even before the compression.  I’ve uploaded some rareish music to YouTube over the years, and the results aren’t suitable in my opinion for critical listening.  If the recording is poor, like old Gypsy stuff, it’s not as big of a deal.

Of course, having music you enjoy is far more important than the sound quality of the resulting music.  I’ve found those with limited frequency response are often more critical about what they hear, rather than those of us with extremely wide range hearing.  My old boss was quite concerned with a small turntable noise, and I couldn’t hear it until I got my ear up to the woofer due to the signal being swamped by ground hum, background hiss from the preamp, room light ballasts buzzing, and record noise.  But if you can’t hear above 6khz or so, the incredible processing machine that is the human brain will zero in on what you can.

[viggen]

youtube is my main digital source and i've tried many from tidal, qobuz and apple.  as long as the uploaded source is decent, the sound is great.

[vintage9594]

Interesting post, You may be the only audiophile on the planet that considers YouTube a viable source for music listening and with that being said…Bravo! You have found a source for music entertainment so who are we to pass judgement?  Not me and I am about as opinionated as they come.  Enjoy your YouTube tunes and all the best to you on your audio adventure.

[LCA13]

Interesting post, You may be the only audiophile on the planet that considers YouTube a viable source for music listening and with that being said…Bravo! You have found a source for music entertainment so who are we to pass judgement?  Not me and I am about as opinionated as they come.  Enjoy your YouTube tunes and all the best to you on your audio adventure.

I've tried desperately to hear the difference between OPUS and FLAC and just can't hear it.  I'm sure it is my 60 year old ears because I know I can't hear above about 12 Khz.  When I researched compression algorithms my takeaway was that most of the compression does indeed occur at higher frequencies. 

I A/B'd Tidal and Amazon Music with the higher quality stuff on Youtube and just couldn't tell the difference.

[LCA13]

Hi!

I’m in Spanish Lake, too.

As soon as I get private message privilege here, I'll drop you a note and see if you still want to come over and listen.  I live right on Larimore rd just down from the gas station,

[LCA13]

   I think Youtube is a good source for finding some rare recordings...

I agree.  This is one of the big value points.  Where else could I hear Black Sabbath play at a high school lol.  The rarer recordings may not have the sound quality as the FLAC uploaded videos, but they are fun just the same.

[LCA13]

I love listening to concert recordings by my favorite artists and have found tons of professionally recorded live performances/livestreams on Youtube that aren't available anywhere else.

Thanks.  One must realize that this is not and either/or situation.  I also had Tidal for a while but found myself drawn to the increased content on youtube.  Virtually every recording is there.  And I could never hear the difference between OPUS and FLAC anyway lol.

[LCA13]

Hi!

I’m in Spanish Lake, too.

I’d love to come listen, and extend the invitation once I get my place in some shape to host others, invite you to audition what I’ve got.

So, YouTube compresses everything-not just information above 12khz.  Compression algorithms work by throwing away information, and that’s unrecoverable.  YouTube audio quality has come up quite a bit in recent years, but so many uploads are done from poor quality sources that would sound bad even before the compression.  I’ve uploaded some rareish music to YouTube over the years, and the results aren’t suitable in my opinion for critical listening.  If the recording is poor, like old Gypsy stuff, it’s not as big of a deal.

Of course, having music you enjoy is far more important than the sound quality of the resulting music.  I’ve found those with limited frequency response are often more critical about what they hear, rather than those of us with extremely wide range hearing.  My old boss was quite concerned with a small turntable noise, and I couldn’t hear it until I got my ear up to the woofer due to the signal being swamped by ground hum, background hiss from the preamp, room light ballasts buzzing, and record noise.  But if you can’t hear above 6khz or so, the incredible processing machine that is the human brain will zero in on what you can.

Drop me a PM if you want to come over and listen.  I'd love to host anyone willing to take my Youtube challenge lol

[lokie]

Good stuff here fellas.

Youtube is just another arrow in our modern day listening source quiver. 

Thanks for posting methods and programs used to get good results.

[Digi-G]

I use Youtube to source some of recordings that are hard to find otherwise (Mary Ann by Happie, anyone?).  Like others have said, the quality can definitely vary, mostly dependent on the original source and the upload I presume.

On my searches I'll add the HD or HQ qualifier (High Definition or High Quality, respectively), but that may or may not make a difference.  Sometimes they are referring to the video quality and the music will be the lowest bit-rate available. Most times I have to trust my ears.

[justauby]

I use Youtube when we have folks over for the Live recordings of concerts that we like to watch and listen.  Being social around a concert type atmosphere vs. a listening setion is something that more people can get on board with.  I do wish Tidal would expand it's video library more to include concerts of the artist i listen too.

[vinyldavid]

While researching for a project, I came across a few really standout examples of sound on youtube.  You'll see a theme.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW6L_lTrIFg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTIZikaOTDE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0sUBp7ps8k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWLJeqLPfSU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze4xcmBFvaE

It's still youtube, but when you feed it a good source, it can sound better than expected.  And it's the only way these performances are available.

[Letitroll98]

I use YouTube for concert videos of specific songs I enjoy and don't much care about sound quality.  Springsteen doing Rosalita in 1975, the Corrs at Lansdowne Road performing Haste to the Wedding, or even old music videos, remember when they were a thing on MTV.  The new edition of Little Feat's Let it Roll is a favorite, go figure.  Comparing sound quality with Quboz never occurred to me.

[lokie]

 "new edition of Little Feat's Let it Roll"
I'm going to need that link. Hoping "new addition" means new to YT ("old LF" w George) and not new LF with the after George line up.
Another thread would be cool for special YT links.
Back to the scheduled program...

Is anyone ripping the video's?  It sure would be cool if you could rip a concert and then separate each song so you could play a playlist or random songs etc..  I k now YOU can do it but I can't and worried about leaving my day job to learn how.

[Mike B.]

I am not focused on high sound quality. I play a wide variety of songs/groups. Here is a oldie from the 1970's group Deep Purple

https://youtu.be/7zKAS7XOWaQ

[LCA13]

While researching for a project, I came across a few really standout examples of sound on youtube.  You'll see a theme.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW6L_lTrIFg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTIZikaOTDE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0sUBp7ps8k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWLJeqLPfSU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze4xcmBFvaE

It's still youtube, but when you feed it a good source, it can sound better than expected.  And it's the only way these performances are available.

I spent many an hour trying to tell the difference between a high quality Youtube track and the same track uncompressed on Tidal.  I could never tell the difference (but my ears are 60 years old).  I even failed the many web tests out there, like this one.

https://thenextweb.com/news/before-you-pay-for-spotify-hifi-try-to-pass-this-lossless-audio-test

[Letitroll98]

"new edition of Little Feat's Let it Roll"
I'm going to need that link. Hoping "new addition" means new to YT ("old LF" w George) and not new LF with the after George line up.
Another thread would be cool for special YT links.
Back to the scheduled program..

I suppose I could have written that better.  I meant the new edition of the group, without George.  Fans don't seem to like the new lineup, I'm agnostic as I don't like all of the catalog, but I'm a big fan of certain songs, Let it Roll being one of them, especially the music video version which mixes a produced video with concert footage.  At the time I lived a pretty wild lifestyle and my GF back then looked quite like the blonde in the video, I lived right off an exit of "highway 95", so it all sort of fit.
https://youtu.be/9IyRNKleyyg?si=MFmza6Z57Gz4Oa0r