YouTube Loudspeaker Demo Videos - Yes No Maybe?

[audiomaestro]

That’s clear. I assumed the poster meant headphones too.

Listening to speaker-in-a-room videos over speakers in a room is off topic as far as I’m concerned.

Here's an example of a hifi home speaker with warm coloration.

ATC SCM11

Original file

and here's an example of a Genelec 8361A.

Original file:

Using a quality set of headphones, you will easily notice the warm coloration of the ATC and the neutral (no coloration added) sound of the Genelec when comparing the mic recording vs the original files.

Done properly, you can use YouTube as a tool to help you narrow down what speakers you want.

 

[audiomaestro]

I bet the next step is comparing TVs on Youtube.

"The colors look dull on my TN gaming monitor, and the contrast is poor. It's probably a bad OLED TV."

That's a very poor analogy. A TN panel is in no way a reference monitor in the way a great set of headphones are to speakers. Using a CRT, I was easily able to discern via YouTube which TV's have motion blur. Here's an example: https://youtu.be/-M6ivFf5t0M

Using a CRT as reference, you will easily notice the Plasma has far better motion handling than the OLED. So far the best OLED for motion handling (BFI) is the CX/GX. It matches Plasma. YouTube motion demonstrations helped me visually understand the differences.

There's a right way and stupid way to do anything. YouTube demo's done right can help a lot to discern the tonality of a speaker.

 

[Doodski]

That's a very poor analogy. A TN panel is in no way a reference monitor in the way a great set of headphones are to speakers. Using a CRT, I was easily able to discern via YouTube which TV's have motion blur. Here's an example: https://youtu.be/-M6ivFf5t0M

Using a CRT as reference, you will easily notice the Plasma has far better motion handling than the OLED. So far the best OLED for motion handling (BFI) is the CX/GX. It matches Plasma. YouTube motion demonstrations helped me visually understand the differences.

There's a right way and stupid way to do anything. YouTube demo's done right can help a lot to discern the tonality of a speaker.

There are so many variables in a YouTube sound comparison.

 

[audiomaestro]

There are so many variables in a YouTube sound comparison.

Such a broad knee jerk reaction. The extent of the variables depends on the quality of the demo, but even with the variables in the video below it is clear the Genelec outperforms the other monitors being compared in terms of neutrality, when comparing the playback songs to the original sound files.

Those "variables" in the video above were not enough of an obstacle to prevent the speaker which objectively measures the best from winning the monitor shootout. Show me a speaker which objectively measures poorly that sounds almost exactly like the original source file in a YouTube demo. You can't! But there are plenty of examples to the contrary, as illustrated above.

 

[audiomaestro]

To be fair that's how dmt12 sound, there's an upper mid quack to the cones. It's exaggerated by room and mics but it's a known trait.

Yep, I clearly heard that quack in the YouTube demo as well, even if it wasn't that good of a demo as compared to some of the others. The variables in the mediocre demo were not enough to prevent me from hearing that well known shouty quack in its tonality.

 

[Doodski]

Such a broad knee jerk reaction. The extent of the variables depends on the quality of the demo, but even with the variables in the video below it is clear the Genelec outperforms the other monitors being compared in terms of neutrality, when comparing the playback songs to the original sound files.

Those "variables" in the video above were not enough of an obstacle to prevent the speaker which objectively measures the best from winning the monitor shootout. Show me a speaker which objectively measures poorly that sounds almost exactly like the original source file in a YouTube demo. You can't! But there are plenty of examples to the contrary, as illustrated above.

Wowow. I feel like I am back in Vancouver with all the Chinese speaking. I worked with an all Chinese crew and after awhile I took a Cantonese Chinese accent in my English...lol. They noticed it and thought it really cool.

Anyway... Back to the matter at hand. After auditioning thousands of different speakers live I find this video auditioning method is really limiting in it's ability to convey information about the speakers. As good as the production and as much as I appreciate all the gear he auditioned for us I'm just not feeling it.

 

[Doodski]

For those of us that like the electronic beats in the video here is the track on YouTube.

 

[audiomaestro]

Wowow. I feel like I am back in Vancouver with all the Chinese speaking. I worked with an all Chinese crew and after awhile I took a Cantonese Chinese accent in my English...lol. They noticed it and thought it really cool.

Anyway... Back to the matter at hand. After auditioning thousands of different speakers live I find this video auditioning method is really limiting in it's ability to convey information about the speakers. As good as the production and as much as I appreciate all the gear he auditioned for us I'm just not feeling it.

Limiting, certainly not perfect, but sufficient enough for discerning certain things such as tonality. The speaker which objectively measured the best, the Genelec, also subjectively sounded nearly identical to the original tracks. Any variables which limited the information was not enough to obstruct the speaker which measures the best from also winning subjectively.

 

[Rednaxela]

Using a quality set of headphones, you will easily notice the warm coloration of the ATC and the neutral (no coloration added) sound of the Genelec when comparing the mic recording vs the original files.

Thank you for putting these videos side by side. The difference is very noticeable, even on my just reasonably fine earbuds.

I must admit though that in the first video it’s not crystal clear to me which part of the coloration is the speaker and which part the acoustics. Sometimes, in other videos, the two seem easier to tell apart.

 

[Rednaxela]

Sometimes, in other videos, the two seem easier to tell apart.

Here for instance.

 

[Doodski]

Limiting, certainly not perfect, but sufficient enough for discerning certain things such as tonality. The speaker which objectively measured the best, the Genelec, also subjectively sounded nearly identical to the original tracks. Any variables which limited the information was not enough to obstruct the speaker which measures the best from also winning subjectively.

I'll give the Genelec that. They did sound pretty good even for a mic recording of them.

 

[Ageve]

That's a very poor analogy. A TN panel is in no way a reference monitor

Well that was my point. How do you know if the sound you are hearing through your headphones has anything to do with how the speakers sound in real life? It's been recorded in a room, with a microphone.

You could, in theory hear the tonality of the speaker, but more likely the room it's in, and the microphone used. If one speaker deviates from others, it might be discernable as well, but there's a much better way to find that out for sure - Look at measurements, and then listen to the actual speakers instead of a Youtube recording.

 

[Vacceo]

Everytime I listen to a demo of B&W I´m amazed how close they sound to KEF. I wonder how could the video be so smart to adapt the sound of B&W to my KEF´s...

I could understand that when I do the same for Genelec, as they´re coaxial, but with B&W, I listen no brightness at all, and those are famous for being bright.

Now, on a more serious note, there are way too many elements in the chain: my pc, the denon avr it´s hooked up to, the room... Too many factors to really get an honest idea of what I´m listening to.

 

[audiomaestro]

Thank you for putting these videos side by side. The difference is very noticeable, even on my just reasonably fine earbuds.

I must admit though that in the first video it’s not crystal clear to me which part of the coloration is the speaker and which part the acoustics. Sometimes, in other videos, the two seem easier to tell apart.

Here for instance.

Right, that's a very poor demo video and the room vs speaker acoustics is easily noticeable.

Generally you want to find a video with a quality mic that is very close to the speaker to eliminate the room as much as possible. That video is one of the "useless" comparisons, IMO.

The ATC SCM11 coloration on that hifi speaker is thickening of the lower mids. It warms up and thickens vocals. It's a hifi speaker so it's not designed to be totally accurate. I hear this euphoric "live band" coloration in all of the SCM11 hifi speaker demos.

 

[Jim Shaw]

What are your thoughts? Do you listen to speakers on YouTube? To what extent do you allow yourself to draw conclusions from what you hear? Have you ever met the speakers in the flesh afterwards and been surprised, pleasantly or otherwise?

No. These can only be wildly misleading. The leading factor in speaker sound is the room they are in. That guy's room isn't your room.
As bad as words are at describing speakers, sound bites on the internet are worse.

We hugely bemoan the loss of brick-and-mortar HiFi shops where we could audition speakers, etc. Yet, those who survived that era knew that listening to speakers in a HiFi store was much, much different than hearing them in your space.

I applaud those on-line stores that allow free returns. Especially after enough time for your ears to get past the 'new' and find the 'live-with' sound character. I try hard not to abuse it.

 

[Rednaxela]

Everytime I listen to a demo of B&W I´m amazed how close they sound to KEF. I wonder how could the video be so smart to adapt the sound of B&W to my KEF´s...

Listening to speaker-in-a-room videos over speakers in a room is off topic as far as I’m concerned.

 

[Vacceo]

With headphones, I wouldn´t do it either. Mine are too cheap and simple to get decent results. They´re cheap and fine for videoconference, but for serious listening to music, not even close.

 

[My adventures in stereo]

YES!

But wait... It greatly depends on the particular video you're listening to, whether or not the person who uploaded the video has a decent mic and is relatively close to the speaker. If done decently, though, you will absolutely be able to discern the tonality of the speaker.

You should be using a good headphone. I'm using the Sennheiser HD650. You will need to compare the recorded song over the speaker to the original file in order to truly know whether or not the speaker is introducing any coloration.

The song being played in the video is "Autumn Leaves" which is this one.

When I compare the original song file to the Tannoy 12 DMT II, I hear a shouty/honk coloration that is not in the original song file. That speaker is introducing coloration which may or may not sound pleasant to your ears. I do not find that type or coloration pleasant and wouldn't purchase the speaker.

Here's another video demonstration which is done the right way. It's in Chinese, but you'll easily be able to figure out what's happening.

Put on a good set of headphones, and most importantly click "See More" under the video title to expand the list of songs used in the video. Open those song links in another tab to compare the original song to the speakers playback, one by one. When doing so, I was easily able to discern that the Genelec 8351B was the best in the bunch of those compared. I could not detect any added coloration and the mic recording sounded nearly identical to the source files. Not surprising, since this speaker has utmost praise both objectively and subjectively.

the prices all being in yen, I am thinking this is in Japanese, not chinese

 

[audiomaestro]

Everytime I listen to a demo of B&W I´m amazed how close they sound to KEF. I wonder how could the video be so smart to adapt the sound of B&W to my KEF´s...

I could understand that when I do the same for Genelec, as they´re coaxial, but with B&W, I listen no brightness at all, and those are famous for being bright.

Borderline Strawman fallacy. Why not demo the B&W over a blown out walkie-talkie.

 

[Doodski]

I am thinking this is in Japanese, not chinese

I'm pretty sure that is Cantonese. It has many SHHH... HSShhh.. sounds just like Cantonese does. Maybe he is in Japan but Chinese?