So, Just How Do the Mermans Stack up Next to High End Equipment?

[toddalin]

Obviously some money invested here.


https://youtu.be/L-CSc3zxdEs

OTOH, I am running a regular CD through an Oppo 95 though a Yamaha RX-Z9 RECEIVER in CD Direct mode with no sub, eq, digital processing, or room correction, physical or electronic.

And of course, I can play this at any volume level, which I doubt the other system can do.


https://youtu.be/wrUvtHXasvM

[BMWCCA]

Funny, to me they both sound like crappy MacBook Pro speakers . . .

[toddalin]

Try a set of nice headphones. :idea:

[Mr. Widget]

First I heard what Phil heard, then I tried my headphones... still didn't sound like Paul Simon. :banghead:


Widget

[Mr. Widget]

Sorry man, I couldn't help myself.

In all seriousness, the mic technique and liveness of the two rooms are substantially different, so even if you had identical speakers in both rooms, the sound would be very different.

Personally I found streaming Eva Cassidy via Tidal through my own system sounded a hell of a lot better than either YouTube recording via my headphones. Nice song though... never heard her version before.


Widget

[BMWCCA]

Try a set of nice headphones. :idea:
Tried that, too.
Now it sounds like a cell phone video from a bad vantage point in an empty room. :confused:

[toddalin]

Tried that, too.
Now it sounds like a cell phone video from a bad vantage point in an empty room. :confused:

In all seriousness, the mic technique and liveness of the two rooms are substantially different, so even if you had identical speakers in both rooms, the sound would be very different.




Certainly you hear differences in the room acoustics. But if you can't hear the difference in the clarity, presence, microdetail, and enunciation in the two videos, maybe try different headphones.

I can't imagine why anyone who is into any sort of high fidelity would tolerate listening to a crap computer system, which they probably use a whole lot more than they use their system to listen to music. :dont-know:

I'll typically listen to one or two disks per day, but my computer runs all day long.

[toddalin]

Would you know L200/300s if you heard them? If I did a video of the L200/300 vs the Mermans, A/B, at the same volume level in the same room, would you still find a way to fault it? :confused:

You can select the track and if I have it on CD/SACD...

[BMWCCA]

Let me say I have nothing against your Mermans and would love to hear them some day.

I do have a prejudice against any comparison in sound based on YouTube videos mostly shot on phones, whether they are from an unknown source, or from KenRick audio, or anyone here. I have no idea what microphone was used, or if there even was a microphone. I just don't put much stock in any comparison using video filmed with a phone to compare audio quality.

[rusty jefferson]

I appreciate the differences you're trying to show, but they're very different systems. All I can hear in the first one is ticks and pops on the record. Bad analogue setup for sure. Your digital recording may be the biggest difference in immediacy and detail, but it sounds a little hot in the 800hz-2khz range to me. But then, it's hard to tell really. :)

[Riley Casey]

" microdetail" in a compressed Youtube video ?

There are probably ways to make valid comparisons that would involve recording with good microphones at specified distances from the baffle to .wav or aif format recordings ( or two track tape machines for the hardcore analog types ) and say posting the files to Dropbox for download and evaluation on known playback systems but Youtube just isn't in the mix.

[toddalin]

Your digital recording may be the biggest difference in immediacy and detail, but it sounds a little hot in the 800hz-2khz range to me. But then, it's hard to tell really. :)

You are hearing correctly. There is ~1-1.5 dB peak at ~1kHz. I've "voiced" the speakers to be a bit hotter in this area because it brings out intelligility and is hard to totally mitigate from the 2251J with its inherent peak in this area. Just goes to show that there is some validity to YouTube videos. :hmm:

In this case I have L-pads on both the Mid and Heil, as well as an HF boost switch for the Heil so I could turn down the "heat" on the mid a tad without loosing much detail. In the recording, the mids are at "full" (by-pass the Lpads) and the Heil was turned down 1-2 dB for the video, but the HF switch was engaged (8,800Hz, 1st Order).

Note the double peak in the spectrum for a 2251J at ~1+KHz. This is where I begin the rolloff to the Heil flattening it to a large extent, and dropping like a stone beyond it. Note how smooth the 2251J is between ~250 - 900 Hz with just a gentle rise through the vocal range.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/89jlJsHjV-DNC50lEhhfNeaetOLQ35lQa-XAvQ8yzJt_RfMgQchY0G-bGLbmE9srUvEaFfmGX_hZaj7ayB0XhTxEeWeY7FbuT4Egk9K-GzkVia4LwMLtk2okdYNbdMA-QFTs1FA7_sDImkYkVy6ObROpLQ
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?42348-Refining-the-Old-Girlhttp://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?42348-Refining-the-Old-Girl

[toddalin]

From AK, accompanied by over half a dozen "likes."

toddalin said: ↑ (https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?goto/post&id=14432764#post-14432764)
On the Ethyl Mermans with the latest revisions..., just something I cobbled together out of vintage "PA parts" and a couple Heils.

This is a standard CD played on an Oppo 95 through a Yamaha RX-Z9 Receiver in "CD Direct" mode with no digital processing, no eq, and no room correction electronic or otherwise, recorded on a Nikon D750 camera.

Nice that we can now do Eva. They used to block her.



Click to expand...


Kathy's song does this to me every time, I just get lost in the moment. Listening to the Mermans video on my JBL wireless earbuds, and I didn't recall the last 2 minutes and 45 seconds of driving home last night. So reminiscent of an earlier day when I would listen to Simon and Garfunkel's Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme through headphones. Thank you for taking the time to do that video, it was just what I needed at that time last night. https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/beerchug.gif

[JeffW]

Why would they block Eva Cassidy?

[toddalin]

Why would they block Eva Cassidy?


Copyrights. I have lots of videos get blocked, then later I find they've been unblocked, then later blocked again (ELP Tank). Often they are only blocked in certain countries.

See if this one plays for you. It was clear, then blocked, then clear, then blocked last time I tried. But of course I (or any original poster) have no problem still seeing them/their blocked videos and don't even know they've been blocked until others report that they can't see them or go into your YouTube account and check their status there.

This is the ELP "Tank" drum solo on the Super Reds. I can see it fine.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGa9259pz-I

[JeffW]

Ah, YouTube - I thought it was meant that AK was blocking.