Can you hear the differences in home equipment with a music file?

[Colin]

If I record the same piece of music from a home movie and music reproduction system onto a PC and then swap one piece of equipment, such as the pre-amplifier or amplifier, is there a file format good enough that I might be able to hear the difference on my PC?

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Is there a file format good enough that others might be able to hear the difference on their PCs?

What if I record a tone or a human voice in the super-critical 1-4kHz range would that make a difference?

[toddvj]

What exactly are you attempting to record? "The same piece of music from a home movie and music reproduction system"??? You mean something you recorded with your camcorder?

If you want to compare music, why not just use a CD?

If there enough of a difference in equipment that you are comparing, you should be able to hear a difference no matter what the format.

[DrWho]

you should be able to hear a difference no matter what the format.

I totally agree

....though all the high dollar equipment owners will disagree on that one []

(gotta love placebo's - sounds like a brother of the paramecium)

[Colin]

so if I ship you 2 WAV files, you should be able to hear the differences between say, 2 CD players or 2 pre-amps?

[DrWho]

Oh, you mean recording the signal chain of your own gear to be compared by someone else....

You will hear a difference - and a wav is a good start.

BUT, you won't get an accurate representation of what it sounded like

when you recorded it. But comparison listening would be fine. I

wouldn't make gear purchases based off that comparison though.

[Jay481985]

Also on other note, recording it on say pc will have an effect since whatever program you use has a specific codec that will alter the sound quality