The downside of the Yamaha sound

[Roboturner91]

I was listening to Coldplay's debut album "Parachutes." This is an album I fell in love with almost instantly when it first came out and have listened to a thousand times, easily.

What I never realized about it (in I guess now, about 17 years) is just how awfully poorly it was recorded. It sounds good on the stereo in my car; it sounds good through my headphones on my little Sandisk portable player when I'm at work; it sounds good on my NAD/Advent setup in my bedroom.

Before now, I would've said it's pretty well-mixed and recorded for a pop/rock album but this relatively humble setup (Yamaha RXV850, CDX560, Celestion DL8) reveals every little flaw to the point where I can't enjoy listening to one of my favorite albums ever - and I can name at least 12-15 other albums I own that this has happened with as well over my 2-channel journey the last few years.

I super-duper appreciate the Yamaha approach to sound of course, but it's almost enough to make me want to assemble a parallel "lesser" system in the same room for listening to lower-fi recordings that I still enjoy.

 

[mbz]

I'm not familiar with the RXV-850, but have tinkered with a few of them. For the money, they do produce a decent sound however I wouldn't call it hi-fi
which in my opinion starts with something like the yamaha ca-800, kenwood KA-7100, and, ,,and,,, It doesn't need to be expensive or powerful. Having
refurbished NAD 3020(2 or 3?), 3140, 3150, I'm not a big fan, they don't quite match the above CA/KA,,, however I understand that the NAD separates
are better. I think you need a better system then find better recordings, maybe visit the "music" forum, they have lists etc.. of well mixed/recorded CD's etc.
My nomination would be Rob Longstaff, albums Boogaloo, Live at Woodford, if someone offers you a copy of Morning Wood, starting bid should be a kidney.
I have my own "Best Of", if you PM I can send you a copy, despite the titles it's pop with a sprinkling of light blues, very well mixed/recorded, easy to listen to.

 

[SoCal Sam]

It's the mix, not the gear. Pop music was mixed to sound good on the crappiest FM radios which were car stereos, single speaker clock radios and the like. In other words, on gear with the widest possible audience. It's about selling records. As the OP noted, there were many pop favorites mixed to compensate for single driver speakers that are rolled off top and bottom. When these tracks are played on a proper system or even a very competent system like your AV, they sound wrong and are difficult to connect with because the mixer's handy work has gotten in the way. It's a real shame as that moment in time for the artist has been forever lost to the business imperatives of the music industry.

 

[mbz]

It's the mix, not the gear.

Agree, however not all pop music is badly mixed/recorded, some consistenly produced quality recordings.

Yeah, I've got Coldplay Parachutes but don't listen to it for the same reason, sounded great in the car but can't stand it through
the mid-fi, sadly it's not alone, many CD's from some big names are unbearable, police come to mind. On a positive note
Rob Longstaff, Lou Reed, Norah Jones, Eva Cassidy and many more. Check out the Music Forum.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Sometimes on the same album, the timber of the vocals changes from track to track. Very annoying. Sometimes during a track, the actual moment the mixer fiddled with the slider can be heard. Very, very annoying. And considering the take that created the hit happens only once, the artist's moment in time is forever corrupted. Rant over...for now.

 

[Raynald]

Sometimes on the same album, the timber of the vocals changes from track to track. Very annoying. Sometimes during a track, the actual moment the mixer fiddled with the slider can be heard. Very, very annoying. And considering the take that created the hit happens only once, the artist's moment in time is forever corrupted. Rant over...for now.

Yes, sometimes even otherwise well recorded albums could have a song or two that sounded drastically different and worse. These were the ones that were destined to be released as singles, hoping to get a big hit. These would receive a "radio mix" meant to sound good on car radios and they sounded horrible on a decent system.

 

[Jazzmuso]

The irony is many of those albums were mixed using Yamaha NS10 monitors at some point

 

[bhunter]

The irony is many of those albums were mixed using Yamaha NS10 monitors at some point

I'm still amazed that the NS10 found its way to ubiquity.

 

[llwhtt]

Every time I visited a studio I would ask why do you have NS10s?, the answer was always the same "if we can make it sound good on those it will sound good on anything". I don't see how it could but that was always the answer.

Craig

 

[SuperLead100]

Every time I visited a studio I would ask why do you have NS10s?, the answer was always the same "if we can make it sound good on those it will sound good on anything". I don't see how it could but that was always the answer.

Craig

Yup, I can attest to this...recording a demo in the eighties the studio used ns-10's on the console (and some big JBL's). I thought they looked really nice but the engineer said they used them because they were typical of most peoples crappy systems. The object was to get the mix to sound good on those and therefore good on most stereo systems of the time.

 

[Jazzmuso]

I hope this is not seen as a thread hi jack - many folks feel that NS 10 have some good features and that they are clean in the mid range and detailed and "honest" overall - meaning provide good fidelity

 

[fernarias]

Yup, I can attest to this...recording a demo in the eighties the studio used ns-10's on the console (and some big JBL's). I thought they looked really nice but the engineer said they used them because they were typical of most peoples crappy systems. The object was to get the mix to sound good on those and therefore good on most stereo systems of the time.

The Japanese and the Dutch used NS-1000m and sometimes the Japanese used pioneer exclusive 2401 (and I've seen a recent video where they still do). Perhaps that's why I prefer Japanese LPs and buy them whenever I can.

 

[souljay3]

What format are you using? parachutes had a remaster in 2015 i think,grab a hi res copy and try that

 

[llwhtt]

Most of my LPs are Japanese pressings bought in the 80s when I lived there. Some of my favorites are on the Three Blind Mice label, a Japanese jazz label.

Craig

 

[Jazzmuso]

Yakira Akimura , the designer of the NS 1000 also designed the NS10. I am going to get a pair as I believe these speakers have some virtues especially its mid range performance. As a Yamaha fan I must have a pair just to try them out for myself. Not going to pay the crazy "studio" prices just waiting patiently for a good priced pair to come along

 

[amr2]

Yakira Akimura , the designer of the NS 1000 also designed the NS10. I am going to get a pair as I believe these speakers have some virtues especially its mid range performance. As a Yamaha fan I must have a pair just to try them out for myself. Not going to pay the crazy "studio" prices just waiting patiently for a good priced pair to come along

I have thought at some point in get a pair and redesign the filter for a flatter response and better power response.

 

[Jazzmuso]

Sorry got the name wrong Akira Nakamura was the designer

 

[Zombie]

Coldplay's albums are all compressed as bricks, they sound sh*te