The folks I know who do this tell me that they're listening for the change from one video to the next. Frankly, I don't really see how that helps. Even if all variables are kept the same (by the same videographer), I don't know how one can extrapolate whatever change is heard to what it might sound like in my space and gear. |
It’s nonsensical to me how anyone can use a lo-res source such as YT to judge audio quality. Yet there are some YouTubers trying to make buck by recording the videos for them. They cultivate an aura of drama, excitement and mystery while trying to maintain a guru-like sense of enlightenment. It’s just a fantasy and completely harmless. |
A difference is a difference no matter how bad the room or acoustics are. You might not hear a component or speaker perform at its potential, but if you can hear an improvement (or the other way) when something is swapped out, then it exists.
I think so too. It’s unfortunate that since Google’s acquisition of YouTube in 2006 the highest bitrate offered has been 192kbs (2012/13). You would have thought that it would been upgraded since then, but alas, no. As of late 2022 only premium subscribers can get 256kbps, everyone else gets 128kbs. Hopefully that situation will change in the near future. Actually, things aren’t as bad as some might like to make out. Some audiophile channels do offer high bitrate downloads which you can then use to compare any potential differences between playback equipment - or not.
In any case, for better or worse, a YouTube video will always carry considerably more weight than any article written by a reviewer. That fact alone makes well recorded online demonstrations a serious alternative source of information interested in sound quality. Even at the lowly 128kbps significant sonic differences can be easily heard through a pair of (hopefully) neutral loudspeakers or even better, headphones. |
Philosophical question: if a YT video plays two speakers, rotating between the two with the same system and room and recording, say for example a small book shelf speaker and a large floor stander, can you hear differences? If so, are they real? Or Meaningful? I also hear a lot of this criticism couched as ‘there’s no way people can hear a difference on YT videos over their crappy phone or computer speakers.’ Is this how everyone listens to YT videos or are there other options? What if people aren’t using crappy phone or computer speakers but something like a $1500 Fiio Audiophile player and a $1000 pair of headphones. Can they hear a difference then? |
I was going to ask the same thing. Even my mid-fi computer set up using Klipsch PM41s via USB from my iMAC can be very revealing provided the recording is of high enough quality. On the better ones, it's' quite easy to hear differences. Consistently. Why do I get the impression there's a lot of really cheap "audiophiles" out there, pissed off at the world? All the best, |
@curiousjim How dare you. I'm watching youtube on my 3/8" laptop speakers. |
@noromance Shots fired!!! |
Hi, I am a YouTuber. I recently posted a video comparing two loudspeakers. The difference is very clearly audible. If you can’t hear the difference on that video, its not because of YouTube. |
The first sentence is the key point, but the second is false. With really good recording microphones, one certainly can ascertain some important things. Take the example linked below. It features the highly regarded Wolf von Langa speakers, and even over Youtube, if you are listening through half-way decent desktop speakers (or headphones), the impressive speed and impact of field-coil drivers reproduction are clearly evident. The AMT (Air Motion Transformer) tweeters are also superb (I have them on my FinkTeam KIM speakers), and are on display through the same excellent microphones here: |
Always been a pet peeve of mine regarding high end audio. Lots of discussion about hearing a “difference”. Many thousands are spent to hear a difference without regard to whether the “difference” is also an improvement. Changing the sound of a system is easy. Improving it isn’t. Mostly because it’s an eye-of-the-beholder kind of thing. No other pair of ears can make that determination but you. Add In confirmation bias and the challenge grows from there. |
If you can decern a difference between two highly regarded pieces of HiFi equipment, after being recorded by even an extreme high end microphone into some type of recorded medium, through the internet, through routers, and ultimately played back through more routers and audio equipment.......Then something is really wrong with one or both of the devices being auditioned.....We have a hard time decerning "differences" of better HiFi equipment when we are in the same room with them!.....Yes, we can easily decern over the internet, the cry of a lion to that of an elephant......But Higher End HiFi gear....PLEASE!!! |
It sounds ridiculous but it might give you some insight about whether you might want audition something in person. That’s probably the only way I think it might be useful. I certainly wouldn’t buy something or pass judgement based on that alone. Otherwise I think it’s just people who like to post YouTube videos. |
I have provided links to a graphic demonstration of (well-recorded) sound emanating from high-class, field-coil drivers. Feel free to provide a link to a video that demonstrates a speaker that employs a (typical) permanent magnet, and then tell me that you cannot discern a difference. I do certainly agree that Youtube videos have serious limitations, but some useful information can be discerned from well-recorded videos. |
I am a premium YouTube subscriber and I read above the bit rate increase this year? Is this true? I have to admit lots of the YouTube Music videos and concert videos sound really good on a nice system. I do question those crazy people doing poor quality videos of concerts and then posting them. YouTube audio sound comparisons between components is absolutely ridiculous and done rather poorly too. I wish the upload or's would give their views but what they are listening to and that would be of interest rather than leaving it to the viewers. If I download a video from YouTube versus streaming, is the download version of better quality????? I just discovered I have 90 videos downloaded and no idea how this happened and now I gotta get rid of many of them. Download interface is horrifying
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Bad recordings on YouTube are useless, but I listened to good recordings of equipment on YouTube and was able to pick out an integrated amp and speakers. I purchased them and am completely satisfied with them. You can hear the characteristics of well recorded equipment on YouTube. Of course, listening to the real equipment is far better, but there was no rush by auditioning this way. I was able to listen, as many times as I wanted to, over an extended period of time, and make comparisons. When I setup the equipment at home, it sounded the same, but on a much larger scale. What did I have to lose? If I wasn't happy, I could have returned what I bought. I have been listening to music since I was very young and playing instruments since I was 6 years old. My dad had a high-end system, and I have good speakers hooked up to my computer. You might think this is crazy, but it worked for me. Maybe there was a little luck involved too, ha-ha. |
This is a case where one actually has to listen to the YouTube files before making pronouncements. TycoDogg made a series of carefully recorded comparisons on YouTube between differing 6SN7 tubes utilizing the original Schiit Freya. Overall quality was quite high with noticeable differences shown, during my listening with Sennheiser HD630VB and 650 headphones over Audioquest Dragonfly Red and Jitterbug using my iPad. I used what I learned in retubing my Cary Slp05 preamp, buying Raytheon VT231’s from Brent Jessee. TycoDoggs work is remarkable and I highly recommend his videos to all interested in tube rolling. In addition, where else can you hear well-recorded performances by JRAD, arguably even more musical than the band they are a tribute to? Got those uninitiated, they are Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, and they are stupendous.
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OK. Now this thread has morphed to watching professionally recorded videos on youtube. I occasionally enjoy watching cool old videos of concerts I wish I had been at when I was in college but wasnt. I don't have a good way of hooking youtube up to my system. I do have some pretty good desktop speakers but don't want to watch at my desk, I want to watch on my 77" TV and primary sound system. I assume others have spent time working on this. What is the best way to do this? |
Listening on YouTube to determine actual sound quality of a piece of audio equipment is of course useless…… It’s similar to try to discern the overall quality of a high end car or camera or even a restaurant range ( I’m a chef / restaurateur). You can get an idea of the looks & features & see if it’s something you might want to pursue but that’s it. There are simply too many potential points of degradation along the way. Unfortunately w/ fewer & fewer actual good quality stores to listen stuff in person, it makes it difficult. I think now the audio shows are a good alternative although the sound quality at them can be quite varied. |
I am a cognitive psychologist and have done a great deal of research on consumers’ perceptions of products using a method based on simple similarity judgements between pairs of products. So, while it is fairly straightforward to determine whether two videos seem the same or not, the tricky bit is to know why any perceived differences seem different. Actual differences might be masked in a low-quality medium such as YouTube. However, determining whether a perceived difference is due to the product or the display technology is the tricky bit. In such cases you might want to run down to your local dealer and check it out for real. |
This article wraps up my thoughts on youtube audio quality, https://vonk.scintilla.utwente.nl/post/2020/youtube/ I've never even bothered playing youtube over my audio only system. On my home theater system, Qobuz and Tidal sound quality far better than youtube. |
Roy, you're starting to sound like a Flat Earther defending the indefensible. All other things being equal, it is possible to hear the difference in say, changing a cartridge or speaker, or tubes in a HD YouTube video. You can hear one being brighter, darker, or more detailed than the other. We are in agreement that you cannot hear the exact same sound as you would in a live audition. The medium and the transducers get in the way. Just like listening on a system is never as accurate as the real performance. Nevertheless, we are satisfied listening to our hi-fi systems which give a simulation of the real thing. So too does the YouTube video. It may not be as good but it is discernible. |
Just wow. Betting 99% of us are not running YouTube videos through our reference systems. Zero connectivity through quality servers or streaming systems. My Innuos statement has zero YouTube ability. Unless I use airplay and why would I.
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