Comparing systems through phone recordings

Thanks millercarbon. We're thinking in the same direction. Sound comparison is possible even if diifficult. And a way of learning more.The method used over here is just to record a standard digital track. To hear the basics of the amp - speaker - room integration. Later, maybe, analog recordings.

thanks jond - i agree.

To hear the basics of the amp - speaker - room integration.

Yes well that one's a lot harder. The thing of it is, its all about comparison. Even in our own rooms with our own systems we can't meaningfully compare if we change several things at once. If for example I change the amp, interconnect, and power cord to a different amp, interconnect and power cord, and hear a difference, then I have no idea what did what. Which if that seems funny someone actually did exactly that here just the other day.

Now if instead of 3 components it was just the one then a valid comparison could have been made- and here's the thing- regardless of whether it was by listening in the room or a recording made by anything and played back on anything. Because as long as we have just the one change then we know whatever difference there was, it was just that one thing.
You see where this is going, right? With all those other things it doesn't matter at all who recorded what. But with your room integration now all of a sudden its the only thing that matters. Because when everything changes- and not only all the equipment but even the room itself- then the one thing that must not change is the recording equipment. And technique.

Otherwise, even a tiny change in something as small as which direction the phone is pointed can easily overwhelm whatever differences there might actually have been.

So yeah we're thinking in the same direction. Its just never forget the first commandment of comparing: thou shalt not change more than one thing at a time.

Yesterday I watched OCD hifi guys latest video posted . It was comparing a song from his cd player , streamed through Tidal , And over his server . I watched the video on my main rig . The recording equipment he uses must be pretty good because what I heard was almost like I had played the track through my front end . It was stunning !!