Binaural Control Room, speaker comparison website

[afabians]

Hi,

This isn't science, but I've created an engine that allows you to compare several speaker models:

BCR AUDIO | Binaural Control Room

Technical database of professional monitor sound signatures. Experience studio monitoring in the binaural domain.

bcraudio.com

I decided to use my database of binaural recordings for comparisons and monitor reviews on my YT channel and build a standalone system from them.

You could call it a monitor comparison engine, as I ensured the same conditions for all the recordings:
- the same Soundman OKM microphone
- the same microphone and speaker position in the same room
- identical reference material

All audio files are balanced to equal volume levels.

The system has many flaws, including the technology itself, and I've certainly contributed to many of the mistakes myself, so please bear with me.
Room is descent, not bad, not great but I've got quite good translation there.

I hope you enjoy it, and maybe it's even useful. I'll be adding new records to the database as soon as I get my hands on new equipment. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Fabian

 

[olieb]

Interesting. But might want to look here and think about the choice of (music) test signals, too.

Why evaluating the sound of a single speaker is essential

Note from staff: this content was move from another thread for better overall access and organization… A forum member has just alerted me to this discussion, and my name is being circulated, so I have decided to add some clarification. The topic of sound quality is of fundamental importance...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[illusonic]

Definitely interesting comparison although I would not choose a speaker on this basis. Dispersion control directly translates to externalization (out of head localization) with HPs. Kii 7 has the smallest, most focussed sound image for me, which corresponds well with waveguide + cardioid control down to 100Hz. Orbit's bass should have been reduced slightly with onboard DSP, although they are not too far off from the original.
Also tried loudspeaker playback of these recordings, which results in a narrower sound image than the original file. Probably due to reduced channel separation. That's still a little unexpected as I remember that binaural filters on nearby stereo speakers (e.g. BT speaker with 2 drivers) can actually widen an otherwise monaural the sound image.

 

[Redacted]

I play a lot of music. I can't currently change my room, but it all sounds great to me (bar poor recordings) on my modest rig - what am I doing wrong?

 

[afabians]

Definitely interesting comparison although I would not choose a speaker on this basis. Dispersion control directly translates to externalization (out of head localization) with HPs. Kii 7 has the smallest, most focussed sound image for me, which corresponds well with waveguide + cardioid control down to 100Hz. Orbit's bass should have been reduced slightly with onboard DSP, although they are not too far off from the original.
Also tried loudspeaker playback of these recordings, which results in a narrower sound image than the original file. Probably due to reduced channel separation. That's still a little unexpected as I remember that binaural filters on nearby stereo speakers (e.g. BT speaker with 2 drivers) can actually widen an otherwise monaural the sound image.

Thank you! Me neither, spectral domain in just only part of the story.

The binaural microphone isn't the highest grade, but I've been using it since the very beginning of recording loudspeakers, before I even came up with the idea of turning it into a comparison engine.

Even if I were to start the project from scratch, it would be difficult to develop a comparative balance that would ensure each model had the same conditions without losing anything.

The same setup favors some designs over others. Just as some models require more EQ attention while others work just well out of the box. There are many factors here.

However, I think a baseline can serve as a guide, a starting point.