Massed soprano voices

[JohnMcC]

Does anyone else have a problem with a ringing distortion when listening to a choir with soprano voices giving it some real welly? I've had this for years; an example is Beethoven's 9th last movement last few bars. I have five different recordings from Solti on Decca vinyl 40 years ago right up to Maris Jansonn in 2015. I've had this problem with all sorts of equipment, with vinyl, CD and download, and in different rooms with different dimensions and proportions. Could it be simply my ears, although it's an effect that's not changed over 40 years? Nothing else in the audible frequency range causes me a problem. So am I alone in this? (And, BTW, I fully expect to have the mickey taken out of me for this post):scratch:

[struth]

Think Soprano is a so high it produces a bit of distortion in the mics. Your ears will hear it live in many cases but the mics and recording process can double it up, and where instruments like piano is placed, and mic placement make it worse. These movements have quite a range

[DSJR]

It's been said that the more power you have in your stereo the better. Massed choirs and close miked piano are terrible for power needs and many speakers with passive crossovers can also have difficulty here as so many go wrong to one degree or another right where the ear is most sensitive, although if the issue clears at lower volume it's more of a power issue I'm afraid.

The other thing is that smaller domestic speakers just cannot give the scale a full-power orchestral work needs and one thing I remember from my big ATC active owning days is how much more effortless music like this became. The full twin-bass ATC's took this even further and these could probably go louder cleanly in a typical room than the real thing in a concert hall - I'll never forget my session with some ATC SCM200A's in a living-room sized, well, living room - absolutely incredible unforced and unfettered dynamics I'd never heard before or since, one track being with a tenor voice with piano accompaniment - astonishing!

[Lawrence001]

If it happens on all systems then ask some (audiophile) friends to see if they can hear it. If they can't it could be your ears. I get a crackling noise in one ear at certain soprano frequencies, it's been happening since a long haul flight about 10 years ago.

If they can it could be your hearing is getting worse with age and you turn the volume up more now.


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[Light Dependant Resistor]

Does anyone else have a problem with a ringing distortion when listening to a choir with soprano voices giving it some real welly? I've had this for years; an example is Beethoven's 9th last movement last few bars. I have five different recordings from Solti on Decca vinyl 40 years ago right up to Maris Jansonn in 2015. I've had this problem with all sorts of equipment, with vinyl, CD and download, and in different rooms with different dimensions and proportions. Could it be simply my ears, although it's an effect that's not changed over 40 years? Nothing else in the audible frequency range causes me a problem. So am I alone in this? (And, BTW, I fully expect to have the mickey taken out of me for this post):scratch:

Hi John
A long time test of mine is Miroslav Vitous a bassist, his CD called Universal Syncopations 2 on the ECM label, has in the first 12 seconds, a choir
gathering then all singing the two words Bo Ho. It has been a real pleasure to witness this section of music improving time after time as a result of the choice of equipment I use.
Another is John Taylor a British jazz pianist his Cd called Rosslyn also on ECM, is another great test for average vs excellent audio equipment

So my point, it is likely the equipment you are using has numerous distortions, rather than anything else.

Cheers / Chris