Dahua Cam Audio Shootout!

[MacFun]

High-quality audio recording is very important to me. My only experience with audio recording from an IP Cam was NestCam which did a good job, I need that quality or better. The samples I've heard from a few Dahua cameras had highly compressed and muffled audio, not so great. So, has anyone done an audio quality comparison test amongst the popular Dahua IP cams?

Care to share a clip that demonstrates the audio quality you get from your cam?

The crappy audio I've noticed is such that the burglar could have said his name and it would be hard to really prove what he said.... yes, it's that bad.

Thanks,

Robert

 

[fenderman]

High-quality audio recording is very important to me. My only experience with audio recording from an IP Cam was NestCam which did a good job, I need that quality or better. The samples I've heard from a few Dahua cameras had highly compressed and muffled audio, not so great. So, has anyone done an audio quality comparison test amongst the popular Dahua IP cams?

Care to share a clip that demonstrates the audio quality you get from your cam?

The crappy audio I've noticed is such that the burglar could have said his name and it would be hard to really prove what he said.... yes, it's that bad.

Thanks,

Robert

You are listening to improperly configured samples... Most likely they have the noise filter on.... The audio is excellent on dahua cameras much better than nest could ever be... There are many threads with great that will audio coming from the internal mic... Search...

 

[looney2ns]

Yep, I agree, the audio from the Dahua cams are excellent, when configured correctly.

 

[0blar]

Hi
@looney2ns , Can you give us your audio configuration setup ?
Thanks

 

[looney2ns]

Hi
@looney2ns , Can you give us your audio configuration setup ?
Thanks

 

[0blar]

Thank you
Here my audio setting

 

[VorlonFrog]

Thank you
Here my audio setting

View attachment 29050

If you don't absolutely require AAC (Apple?) format audio, switch to G.711 and drop the sampling rate, as shown in Looney2ns example.

 

[MacFun]

View attachment 29049

First I thought that the audio was already encoded by the chipset on the camera, no? If not, are saying the audio is analog in the cat5 cable and is digitized by the NVR or computer running NVR software like Blue Iris?

Also, I would have thought that a high bitrate AAC would be the preferred encoding... mostly because I’m an Apple FanBoy (which doesn’t mean I’m not pissed at Apple half the time! ) and did not recognize the other encoding types mentioned in your typical Dahua cam Specs. Btw: since this encoding is mentioned in the specs the camera must be doing some encoding. If so, I would expect the highest quality audio from an encoding standpoint would be to preserve what was already encoded and to avoid decompression via transcoding. So, where does the encoding happen? And what is the native encoding of typical 5231 Dahua?

I hope looney and fenderman are correct about Dahua having good audio. I’m surprised that some folks on here that are well respected and that review cameras would botch the audio so badly. I’ve actually never heard any audio samples that didn’t standout as overly compressed and generally bad levels too.

I look forward to understanding how it all works. I have a Broadcast production background and have worked as an audio engineer in a recording studio... I have a solid understanding of: compression, encoding, transcoding, bitrates and sample rates and how that can affect the sound. Yet, I’d like to learn more about the audio of the IPCam world. Please advise—many thanks!!

 

[MacFun]

Thank you
Here my audio setting

View attachment 29050

Oblar, how would you rate your audio quality via Dahua with those settings? Have you tried the other suggested settings? I know it’s subjective but how would you rate your audio quality?

 

[Al*_*]

The audio is excellent on dahua cameras

the audio from the Dahua cams are excellent

I hope looney and fenderman are correct about Dahua having good audio

I’m surprised that some folks on here that are well respected and that review cameras would botch the audio so badly

Although I like to believe on this board we agree to disagree, you will always find people who do not have the guts to speak out when they have another opinion. Maybe it is because people want to avoid discussion or because some people have proven to find it difficult when others have another opinion. I respect fenderman and looney but i am probably more down to earth before i call something 'excellent'. I have to admit at first I was disappointed about the audio quality. Looney pointed out to turn off the noise filter and yes, this makes a huge difference. I guess it all comes down to your personal (realistic) expectations. For a surveillance cam compared to other brands these are all right. The quality of these microphones and others which can be used to replace is discussed before. As fenderman pointed out you might want to search about these topics which will makes things more clear then me re-writing them.

 

[fenderman]

Although I like to believe on this board we agree to disagree, you will always find people who do not have the guts to speak out when they have another opinion. Maybe it is because people want to avoid discussion or because some people have proven to find it difficult when others have another opinion. I respect fenderman and looney but i am probably more down to earth before i call something 'excellent'. I have to admit at first I was disappointed about the audio quality. Looney pointed out to turn off the noise filter and yes, this makes a huge difference. I guess it all comes down to your personal (realistic) expectations. For a surveillance cam compared to other brands these are all right. The quality of these microphones and others which can be used to replace is discussed before. As fenderman pointed out you might want to search about these topics which will makes things more clear then me re-writing them.

Yes there will always be a putz like you who will bought their first cam last month and wants to compare surveillance cameras audio to a studio recording...with each post you get dummer.

 

[fenderman]

First I thought that the audio was already encoded by the chipset on the camera, no? If not, are saying the audio is analog in the cat5 cable and is digitized by the NVR or computer running NVR software like Blue Iris?

Also, I would have thought that a high bitrate AAC would be the preferred encoding... mostly because I’m an Apple FanBoy (which doesn’t mean I’m not pissed at Apple half the time! ) and did not recognize the other encoding types mentioned in your typical Dahua cam Specs. Btw: since this encoding is mentioned in the specs the camera must be doing some encoding. If so, I would expect the highest quality audio from an encoding standpoint would be to preserve what was already encoded and to avoid decompression via transcoding. So, where does the encoding happen? And what is the native encoding of typical 5231 Dahua?

I hope looney and fenderman are correct about Dahua having good audio. I’m surprised that some folks on here that are well respected and that review cameras would botch the audio so badly. I’ve actually never heard any audio samples that didn’t standout as overly compressed and generally bad levels too.

I look forward to understanding how it all works. I have a Broadcast production background and have worked as an audio engineer in a recording studio... I have a solid understanding of: compression, encoding, transcoding, bitrates and sample rates and how that can affect the sound. Yet, I’d like to learn more about the audio of the IPCam world. Please advise—many thanks!!

Where have you seen bad audio in a review? If you think you will you are getting studio quality recordings from an IP camera then you are sorely mistaken.

 

[aristobrat]

I hope looney and fenderman are correct about Dahua having good audio. I’m surprised that some folks on here that are well respected and that review cameras would botch the audio so badly. I’ve actually never heard any audio samples that didn’t standout as overly compressed and generally bad levels too.

I don't think anyone here is approaching security camera audio from a "I have a Broadcast production background and have worked as an audio engineer in a recording studio... I have a solid understanding of: compression, encoding, transcoding, bitrates and sample rates and how that can affect the sound." point-of-view, so I think you're going need to step up and be the one that blazes that trail.

I can tell you that from the POV of my average (and completely untrained) ears, I'm happy that I can hear a conversation happening at my front door that's being picked up by a Dahua Starlight that's twenty feet to the right, ten feet forward, and about five feet higher than the door, ... angled away from the door.

From that completely unoptimized situation, does it sound compressed and like the levels are bad? Absolutely... but I can hear what's going on, and that's all that matters to me (and I'd imagine 99% of the folks here).

 

[looney2ns]

First I thought that the audio was already encoded by the chipset on the camera, no? If not, are saying the audio is analog in the cat5 cable and is digitized by the NVR or computer running NVR software like Blue Iris?

Also, I would have thought that a high bitrate AAC would be the preferred encoding... mostly because I’m an Apple FanBoy (which doesn’t mean I’m not pissed at Apple half the time! ) and did not recognize the other encoding types mentioned in your typical Dahua cam Specs. Btw: since this encoding is mentioned in the specs the camera must be doing some encoding. If so, I would expect the highest quality audio from an encoding standpoint would be to preserve what was already encoded and to avoid decompression via transcoding. So, where does the encoding happen? And what is the native encoding of typical 5231 Dahua?

I hope looney and fenderman are correct about Dahua having good audio. I’m surprised that some folks on here that are well respected and that review cameras would botch the audio so badly. I’ve actually never heard any audio samples that didn’t standout as overly compressed and generally bad levels too.

I look forward to understanding how it all works. I have a Broadcast production background and have worked as an audio engineer in a recording studio... I have a solid understanding of: compression, encoding, transcoding, bitrates and sample rates and how that can affect the sound. Yet, I’d like to learn more about the audio of the IPCam world. Please advise—many thanks!!

Explain to me how anyone here has "botched" the audio in a review?

Broadcast production background, yet you don't understand that everything that leave's a modern IP camera is in digital form?

I'm from a movie theater projection & sound equipment installation/maintenance background, Dolby certified, and I know little bit about what constitutes good sound.
We aren't attempting to record an orchestra with these cams. Where legally allowed, all that matters is that you can record voices that are easily understood upon playback. These cams do that in spades. I can hear kids talking on the other side of my lake, and can sometimes understand what they are saying, if they are speaking loud enough, from 100 yards away. In my opinion, that qualify's as excellent for it's intended purpose.

 

[MacFun]

Explain to me how anyone here has "botched" the audio in a review?

Broadcast production background, yet you don't understand that everything that leave's a modern IP camera is in digital form?

I'm from a movie theater projection & sound equipment installation/maintenance background, Dolby certified, and I know little bit about what constitutes good sound.
We aren't attempting to record an orchestra with these cams. Where legally allowed, all that matters is that you can record voices that are easily understood upon playback. These cams do that in spades. I can hear kids talking on the other side of my lake, and can sometimes understand what they are saying, if they are speaking loud enough, from 100 yards away. In my opinion, that qualify's as excellent for it's intended purpose.

Exactly, that was my assumption, that the audio was already in digital form coming off the camera, already compressed and already encoded. Then why are you transcoding the audio?

Thanks,

Robert

 

[nbstl68]

Yep, I agree, the audio from the Dahua cams are excellent, when configured correctly.

Thanks for the info and settings I'm going to try them out. Mine are all on default right now. I don't really use audio often but when I have listened to them it's been very odd. A lot of wind noise of course often. But then wierd stuff like my car driving into the garage right past the cam...van't hear the engine at all..it's very quiet...but then I role over a storm grate right at the entrance and the clanking of the metal grate is loud and clear...then a blast of engine noise and then squeal and nothing.
I can usually hear voices when walking by it...but not a loud car engine is weird.

I honestly have no idea what to expect to hear as decent sound quality but I'll tweak it now.
Is it possible for you or anyone to post audio clip samples?

 

[fenderman]

Thanks for the info and settings I'm going to try them out. Mine are all on default right now. I don't really use audio often but when I have listened to them it's been very odd. A lot of wind noise of course often. But then wierd stuff like my car driving into the garage right past the cam...van't hear the engine at all..it's very quiet...but then I role over a storm grate right at the entrance and the clanking of the metal grate is loud and clear...then a blast of engine noise and then squeal and nothing.
I can usually hear voices when walking by it...but not a loud car engine is weird.

I honestly have no idea what to expect to hear as decent sound quality but I'll tweak it now.
Is it possible for you or anyone to post audio clip samples?

that is because your noise filter was on.

 

[looney2ns]

Exactly, that was my assumption, that the audio was already in digital form coming off the camera, already compressed and already encoded. Then why are you transcoding the audio?

Thanks,

Robert

the settings I posted are from within the cam setup.

Exactly, that was my assumption, that the audio was already in digital form coming off the camera, already compressed and already encoded. Then why are you transcoding the audio?

Thanks,

Robert

I'm not trans-coding it, the settings in the camera allow you to choose which encoder to use.

 

[looney2ns]

Here are a couple of quick audio examples.

 

[nbstl68]

That sounds a lot more normal for the scene. Thanks.
But hey, a nice charcoal grill setup like that and no cover? C'mon.