Testing *NEW* Speakers
18 Oct 2013, 11:27 am
Hi,
Today I bought some new PC speakers, and wanted to compare them to the previous ones I've used for a few years.
I found the test below on YouTube, and the difference between the old & new speakers is amazing:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17rOr-X0RPs[/youtube]
In fact I quite like the song.
I thought that other people may find this test useful.
auntblabby
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21 Oct 2013, 1:16 am
their "A" 440 is really a "Bb" [have perfect pitch, that is how i know]. also missing is the bottom octave [30 cycles] as well as the top 3 octaves [to check tweeters]. one must be able to reproduce [within tolerance of +/- 3 db] a frequency range from 30 cycles up to about 16k cycles at least at a sound pressure level of at least 100 db] in order to properly reproduce 99.99% of recorded music. sorry to say that this test is inadequate to determine these things. the best test is one with a swept frequency with octave-wide highlights at each decade, so that one can hear overall response smoothness and extension at the top and bottom. wurlitzer pipe organ music does a good job, particularly if the toy counter percussions are used, which have rich treble energy.
21 Oct 2013, 12:32 pm
Hi auntblabby,
Thank you for your assistance. I had no idea it was such a complex subject.
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We, the people on the Autistic Spectrum have a choice.
We can either try to "fit in" with the rest of society, or we can be so egocentric that we can't be bothered.
I choose the actor. I observe NT's. I listen to their socializing. I practice it, so in social situations I can just emulate/mimic what is expected.
It isn't natural for me, but it enables me to "fit in".
It is VERY tiring and draining, but at least we can appear like them even though it is an act. Like being on the stage.
They can't see it is emulation, and so we are accepted.
auntblabby
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21 Oct 2013, 2:55 pm
if you really want to hear what high-fidelity sound reproduction is all about, go to a hifi store [if they still have such a thing where you live], IOW a store that sells high-end audio equipment for the home. persuade one of the snooty salemen there to let you listen to their best consumer-level speakers, ask to hear a variety of music or bring your own selection of what you normally listen to. make a mental note of what you have heard beforehand in terms of sound quality. obtain a swept frequency test from 20-20k cycles and play it through those speakers, you will immediately hear where the speakers are deficient if the bottom is missing [inadequate bass extention] or if it sounds lumpy instead of steady. deep bass [the kind that you feel pulsate the room air and press your eardrums like you're at the bottom of the pool] generally is that below about 40 cycles, which is where most speakers are weak. music reproduced with the bottom octave [40 cycles and below] intact will have an unmistakable vibrancy and visceralness missing from weaker speakers. speakers with a smooth upper midrange [between 2 and 5k cycles] will be easier to listen to than speakers with a peaked upper midrange, which superficially will have greater clarity but soon will be tiring to the ear and just seem harsh. speakers with a peaked midbass response [the BOOM BOOM BOMP sound you hear in rap] will also sound tiring when listening to anything other than rap. a flat overall response is what you want which will reveal the natural sound of any music you listen to.
