Article: Calibrating My Ears at the San Francisco Symphony

[semente]

People should try putting on a blindfold before the orchestra members take to their seats.

They'd be surprised by how much of what you describe (and audiophiles have come to expect from their playback) is the result of visual cues.

 

Soundstage is an audiophile invention. ?

[semente]

8 hours ago, austinpop said:

I just attended two BBC Proms concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London: Beethoven 9th last night, and Mahler 8th tonight.

 

What an experience! The Proms are a unique British event, where the center of the arena accommodates standing-room attendees. Both concerts had a strong choral element. I was seated in the "Stalls," closer to the stage, and so was very close to one section of the choir. The effect of a large choir is stunning. And of course the Mahler 8th is arguably one symphony that is almost impossible to reproduce in an audio system. The effect of the huge choirs and the organ ... incredible.

 

I'm shaken AND stirred!

 

Unfortunately the acoustics of the Royal Albert Hall are not really suited for classical music.

 

On the subject of choirs, my eldest son recently participated in a charity event at the RAH. The choir consisted of over 1000 voices and the power of all those children singing was just brutal, a challenge to even the loudest of heavy metal bands: