Like many others on this forum, I have a list of music tracks I use to compare equipment, adjust EQ, etc.
I found one track that differentiates different equipment better than any other track I have, but I am baffled by what exactly the differences mean.
Although I don't see references to it much anymore, for Brahms Piano Concerto #1, I have always appreciated Claudio Abbado in Berlin with Alfred Brendel, from the 80's. I listened to the CD back in the day and it was a perfectly good recording; and now I hear it on Amazon Music HD.
I find that playback varies dramatically on the Amazon Music HD version, depending on equipment. I have 4 iem's, 1 set of phones, 3 DAC's or DAC amps, and one Amp. The playback fidelity varies from ER4's on JDS Labs Amp & DAC, which is very good, with great separation between the instruments and at least pretty-good timbral detail, to inferior to greater or lesser degree on all other combinations, with the biggest complaint being that when the full orchestra comes to bear, the sound smears and becomes congested, with separation between instruments disappearing. This effect doesn't vary over time, but depends on equipment.
I believed the recording needed to be remastered until I heard it on the Ety/JDS combo, where there is just a small hint of smearing or distortion. On that combo alone, I remember why I originally liked the performance.
What the heck could cause this effect? Why would it occur on the equipment that otherwise sounds good? Can one orchestral recording demand an unusual amount of power compared to another on a streaming service?
I found one track that differentiates different equipment better than any other track I have, but I am baffled by what exactly the differences mean.
Although I don't see references to it much anymore, for Brahms Piano Concerto #1, I have always appreciated Claudio Abbado in Berlin with Alfred Brendel, from the 80's. I listened to the CD back in the day and it was a perfectly good recording; and now I hear it on Amazon Music HD.
I find that playback varies dramatically on the Amazon Music HD version, depending on equipment. I have 4 iem's, 1 set of phones, 3 DAC's or DAC amps, and one Amp. The playback fidelity varies from ER4's on JDS Labs Amp & DAC, which is very good, with great separation between the instruments and at least pretty-good timbral detail, to inferior to greater or lesser degree on all other combinations, with the biggest complaint being that when the full orchestra comes to bear, the sound smears and becomes congested, with separation between instruments disappearing. This effect doesn't vary over time, but depends on equipment.
I believed the recording needed to be remastered until I heard it on the Ety/JDS combo, where there is just a small hint of smearing or distortion. On that combo alone, I remember why I originally liked the performance.
What the heck could cause this effect? Why would it occur on the equipment that otherwise sounds good? Can one orchestral recording demand an unusual amount of power compared to another on a streaming service?