Can pros tell which INSTRUMENT is more expensive? [Blind Test]

Get motivated from Ray & Jasmine when you practice AND level up your music skills! Join the community on Tonic: tonicmusic.app/practice-together 🎵 Open to all instruments and levels from around the world.
How important is an expensive instrument? You might think other people who play the SAME instrument can tell, but could a professional musician who plays a a DIFFERENT instrument tell apart a $1,000 and $50,000 instrument? 🎵
In this video I challenge flutist @JasmineChoi to see if she can tell the difference between my violins and if I can tell the difference between her flutes. Also check out the video we did on her channel where we battled out Flute VS Violin on Flight of the Bumblebee 🐝 • Violin VS Flute [Fligh...
0:00 - Intro
0:37 - Introducing our instruments
2:06 - Round 1 Flute
4:14 - Round 2 Flute
8:26 - Round 1 Violin
10:38 - Round 2 Violin

[@RayChenViolinist]

It’s all about HOW you play, right? Well you better practice to make that a true statement 😁 Join the practice community on Tonic: tonicmusic.app/join-in and GET FREE MOTIVATION!

[@Xphqntom]

Best music app ever !

[@user-jo2gg2dl1m]

When the Tonic is Tonicing idk i havent seen the app

[@swanlake2803]

I couldn't differentiate. They sound the same. It's the player😅

[@rebekahweber2413]

Thank you for playing the instruments back to back so I could hear the difference. The Stradivarius definitely had such a difference that I could tell right away which one it was. Before I have heard 2 different musicians play 2 different violins so it was harder to tell the difference. This was an even comparison, but not many people are allowed to touch a Stradivarius for obvious reasons. The flutes were interesting as well. I got them all right, but it was challenging. It sounds like you should use some for marching band and school functions, then invest in the better ones for college and local functions if you keep up your music, then invest in the expensive ones if you are a pro, but the diamond is quite a statement. I loved hearing each. I wonder what kind of life the 69.00 violin has had, if only it could speak.

[@user-jo2gg2dl1m]

Are there private rooms on Tonic? (practicing without having to show to others basically)

[@JasmineChoi]

It was so much fun comparing the instruments and testing my ears😆

[@RayChenViolinist]

I need to clean my ears hahaha

[@johnpablorojas4393]

@@RayChenViolinist W rizz

[@lilys946]

So cool!

[@vir5985]

bro @@johnpablorojas4393

[@user-jo2gg2dl1m]

@@johnpablorojas4393 Rayzz Chen

[@jandutton]

I think the point is that a professional can make any instrument sound good!

[@nickuhland7148]

My favorite part of a new Ray Chen video is guessing whether he will sound American or Australian.

[@ki6eki]

"you only know expensive" *laughs in rich*

[@zoelee8471]

The Stradivarius was very obvious! So much more depth and warmth to the sound. It felt like the $69 violin was truly stretching itself trying to project and make a decent sound under such stressful playing.

[@stiggrasser7989]

Agree. But I couldn't tell the three flutes apart. I still listened to them several times. They sounded the same to me, perhaps due to the amazingly talented flutist playing them...

[@alexkuamoo3874]

My jaw dropped when Ray thought the first flute was the most expensive. I don’t know flutes at all but the first was an immediate “nah, that’s a cheap instrument” moment. I’m so glad you swapped them. The strad stood out head and shoulders, that was so much easier than the flute.

[@juliechen7733]

The comparison to perfume shopping was too funny!!!

[@LiilyPad]

I read this comment as that was playing out, LOL This comment had made it far better, LOL

[@tubbyisnofatty]

and the perfume graphic has lengling perfume hahahah

[@goldika]

The flutes were super hard to tell apart, i only could get it with better speakers 😅 but the strad was 100% obvious from the first note and the other violins were quite obvious too. Still impressed tho how good of a deal you made with the 69$ violin- my old 120€ one sounds like a muted cardboard box but yours is quite loud and really tries its best 😃

[@jub8891]

It just sounds like air passing through a pipe

[@pedrosalas7184]

Looks like Ray is stepping up his game from doing chamber music to making videos with someone 😏

[@IQzminus2]

Jasmine playing, it was crazy how good all 3 sounded. None sounded even a little like a 69 dollar Amazon instrument. I’m sure it might be harder to play and get a good sound out of, but I sure couldn’t tell from her playing. I guessed the most expensive correctly, but it was a lot smaller difference than I expected.

[@adamae.7246]

It's not so supprising: the materials in which flutes are made don't affect the sound as much as they are on violins because mostly the air is vibrating (for the violin, the strings, bridge, and table play a hudge role).

[@vanessachromik3879]

I played the flute for ~9 years and I'm now playing the violin, this will be an interesting video 😄

[@ailinhtrieu1529]

Haha, it’s the opposite for me. Violin for 12 years and starting flute in a week!

[@solenemartin729]

I played the flute for 9 years as well and started the violin a month ago!

[@hecapan1]

Similar for me. Flute for 30 years and violin 15 months. I got all the flutes right and 2/3 of the violins. The Strad was an easy one.

[@emmanuellaurens2132]

Round 1 Flute: Bizet, Entr'acte (Act III) from Carmen Round 2 Flute: J.S. Bach, Badinerie from Orchestral Suite No.2 in B Minor Round 1 Violin: Saint-Saëns, the Swan from Carnival of the Animals Round 2 Violin: Brahms, Violin Concerto in D Major

[@Brian-di5ps]

ty

[@aobingli3671]

TYSM

[@brialexa526]

thank you so much!

[@Ilovechickenssss]

Thank you so much

[@eriks2962]

I love that the video is editted like a korean TV show. Only need the instant replay!

[@A_440Hz]

The comparison between the instruments were so interesting! I mean both Jasmine and Ray are such amazing players they can make anything sound like gold (Jasmine literally can) 😂😂😂🎉

[@cake-gi7kt]

They're so at peace listening to each other I love it

[@shonen84]

1:39 lol that flex yo 😂

[@celestkhoo9577]

This is so nice and funny! Thank you Ray and Jasmine for sharing with us. 😊

[@lucienazario2786]

Ray, you have very good sensitive ears. You were able to guess correctly the 3 different flutes played by Jasmine. So brilliant!!!👏👏👏

[@lola.millard17]

i’m shocked at how well i did, i guessed both the flutes and the violins right!! great content ray, keep up the good work!

[@heitron81]

What I have learned is that it is not only the instrument, but also the choice of strings and the bow… like strings and instruments need to match (and match the playing style as well). And there is an amazing range of strings as well… took us almost a year to find the best fitting ones for my son and his cello.

[@chia_s_ee_d]

Ooooooh, I’m looking forward to it!!!!

[@kylestevens5835]

lol we guessed the same Ray great job! Bro we must be geniuses lmao I know I’m not! But your playing definitely is!! Thank you for all the beautiful music!!

[@adamae.7246]

I nailed it! 😁 I'm a french violinist (but not near the level of these fabulous musicians) and I managed to get all good answers from the two first rounds!

[@becgedge7609]

I love these vids!! So fun 😁

[@mattbrown2190]

So happy I got all of them right. The flutes were much more difficult to tell apart for me at first.

[@ssb73q]

Hi Ray, you could make a stretched shoe string sound good.

[@charlesjustice9857]

For me, I really preferred the sound of the kennedy violin. Not a professional but the sound was so cool for me❤ Wish i could own one🥺❤

[@blauespony1013]

I had the flutes right from first try, but with second piece it was so obvious. The key movements were audible on the first flute.

[@FodorPupil]

Great video! It would be cool to add a good/great modern fiddle. That could get interesting.

[@marcomensing4862]

Excellent genius Ray Chen 🎻

[@DjDoggDad]

In future videos would you consider listing the microphones you are using in these comparisons? Hopefully you could use a standard like a shure sm57 as a reference point.

[@ZahraIsMyDog]

I would be terrified to sit next to the Strad!

[@user-ll4kb9md1f]

Looking forward 😁😁

[@JoshuaQuintanapr]

I nailed it as well that second flute sounds incredible, is sound airy

[@ShruthiM_7344]

I like music because your whenever I see u music video I like so much about music and learn about music

[@DM-lo6wt]

so produced, love it

[@JoshuaQuintanapr]

That last violin soundssss innnnsaaaaneeee i😮😮😮

[@jmer9126]

Well done, Ray!

[@annescholten9313]

Love your chemistry with ms Choi.❤

[@carnivorecaveman]

Thanks guys! I love music a lot, but at least now I know - thanks to y'all - that if I ever decide to buy an instrument, there is no point in investing huge sums of money in the purchase, because even the cheapest instrument will suit me perfectly, since I won't be able to hear the difference anyway.

[@aliciawu7753]

不需要遮樂器，越不給馬賽克越好。你們在這裡是上電視節目。這裡是KZbin. KZbin is for music. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ 其實這裡的the secret chords(playing pentatonic scale（國樂：宮、商、角、徵、羽 ）on music instruments )❤️🎻💚藏得很好。音樂的梗都在the secret chords (playing pentatonic scale （國樂：宮、商、角、徵、羽 ） on music instruments )裡面❤️🎻💚。 Bravo 🎉 🎉🎉 老師們，這裡就是強大在於「隔空教，概念也會成」。這就是世界上太會教的名師組合。❤❤❤❤❤

[@cyzhouhk]

Cathay Pacific eye mask! Finally, I can say I share something in common with Ray Chen! I blame my cheap headphones for not being able to hear the difference between the instruments.

[@agatafurczyk9149]

It's obvious the quality of the instrument matters significantly less if you're a pro. But if you're not, it's good to get something that helps you... and that IS NOT a Strad 😆 (I've heard from multiple sources that they are rather difficult to play😅). I'm sure Ray could make my student grade violin sound beautiful, but all that I could use any Strad for, is effectively scaring away night intruders! 😂 It seems to me that in case of flutes the price is more straightforward - being result of the quality - since there're no 'legends' around them that affect the prices. Strads are obviously great for concerts, but I can't say I prefer a Strad's sound to a modern violin as long as the latter sounds deep and rich in the lower and sweet and sparkly in the upper register. After all, having a different violin for studio recording is a thing ☺

[@heitron81]

Most of the sound nuances are lost latest when the music is played on mobile phone loudspeakers. So I am safe to say I enjoy all of it.

[@royoser9956]

I've played the flute for 55 years and couldn't guess the flute from the Bizet Entr'acte. The Bach Suite revealed the cheap one. It still sounded good, but Jasmine Choi can do better than that. The no. 3 violin was clearly better than the other two in Le Cygne. The Brahms concerto was a bit unfair with Ray intentionally messing up a bit. Let me take that test in person, I think I would do better. But thanks to Ray and Jasmine, that was a lot of fun.

[@eriknystrom5839]

Interesting. I was listening with my iPad just with the build -in small speakers. So for the flutes there were absolutely no difference. But for the violins I could hear a difference and my guess was that nr 3 was the Strad. Maybe because Ray played with more confidence on the Strad.

[@alexniu7453]

Maybe you could make a video for analyzing different cost/material violins by music software. Let’s see what will happen.😊

[@mike_junmin]

I got the flutes wrong except for the gold one, but got all the violins right! Really surprised that there was more difference I could hear between the medium and the strad than cheap and medium

[@myrona.gilmorejr.]

I liked this video just because of the playing

[@JacquesLuu]

It's hard to compare when @JasmineChoi flute playing is worth millions$

[@bethanypatterson6770]

What!!!! 13:05 Ray is playing without a shoulder rest. I can’t do that! 😤

[@AcidSpitter783]

4:07 😂😂😂 Rays so funny

[@ricardosalavessa1931]

Would love to see you compare your Strad to a proper modern violin, or better, a modern copy of a Strad.

[@Msmcarlos]

i both got Jasmine's and Ray's in one go, all correct answers

[@grave8590]

I can't believe I got them all right on the first try!

[@user-do6ch8qn2u]

excellent way to interpret, please tell me what is the name of ciolin's song from round 1

[@PositivelyNice]

Gosh! I got the flute right on both tries. The sound quality from the $50k one is lower and wider.

[@aenyanevers4860]

I only played flute for about 10 years (age 8 to 18) but I could instantly hear the cheap flute because it sounded the most familiar haha. The stainless steel resonates on certain mid- to low end notes, giving them a hint of "cold" echo. The silver plated flute sounded similar to the steel one but warmer and stronger without the echo. The gold one sounded "thin", not in that it was weak but that the notes didn't have to work as hard to flow into each other?

[@aenyanevers4860]

For the violin: #1 sounded confident but in a brash way, like someone in their early 20s. #2 slightly awkward like a teen, and #3 sounded similar to #1 but with the confidence of more life experience. The Strad also sounded a little tradgic somehow.

[@Xphqntom]

FIRSTTT ! AGAINN ! (Ray am excited !)

[@agatafurczyk9149]

😁

[@10data10]

The youtube recording of your $69 violin sounds so much better than what my $65 violin sounds like on KZbin. I’m willing to accept that all of the difference I hear between the videos is your skill level but I’m still wondering if you are using its original strings and bridge. I liked your video. It looked like you and Jasmine were having a lot of fun.

[@stupidsminkle]

I got the expensive ones right, the other two were less obvious to me. Let's not forget the violin bow is just as important as well!

[@AngelTing]

I wonder if Jasmine could teach Hank flute, and probably Hank teaches Jasmine violin? I miss Hank and I hope he has been practicing🎻

[@rlchico666]

So I have to say, I absolutely LOVE when these two put a video together! Awesome music, enlightening, educational & entertaining! You guys have GREAT chemistry! It would be INCREDIBLE to see you guys perform together! Also, to make you guys blush, you look pretty cute together...just sayin'!

[@nancyjfs]

Jasmine is married.

[@microwavedtom5076]

"just a cool ten million" ---*spits tea all over the screen by reflex

[@dtyn]

It just goes to prove that the musician matters as much (or more) than the instrument. I play golf as an average golfer and always say that a Pro (e.g. Tiger Woods) would beat me using a set of $89 budget clubs.

[@ronipenaber3352]

I am a begginner flute Player ,should i buy mendini flute?

[@101Meeko101]

the flutesIi couldn't tell it was sooo subtle, but my god the strad is just on a whole new level when it comes to the sound, it was so obvious

[@rigratsgaming5872]

I just started playing violin and flute, what are your tips on playing violin?

[@jehnnaanderson1172]

Woo I guessed them both in the right order!

[@feliponshot]

It's funny how I couldn't tell the flutes one from another, while the violin I was able to identify correctly with 1 or 2 notes which was which.

[@lordneeko]

The cheap flute (1st one), you could easily hear the keys clicking in the video. (I had it right first round 😏) The violins i thought were EASY. Picked 3, 1, 2 after first round. That Strad just sounds so beautiful, it was easy. (Edit: COOL! I got it right! 😂)

[@ningyizhang1055]

Like your Cathay Pacific blindfold

[@blisslolz7611]

Please make more videos on the prices of what a advanced highschooler should buy and how to not get scammed

[@ggJin]

I got the flute order right the second time too 🤠

[@ggJin]

Violin right the first try🤓

[@tarekdia7586]

I got the whole answers exactly as they answered it, and for the same reasons.... I happy that my ears still works good .. But lesson learned, expensive instruments is nice to have but never mandatory... cheap instruments can do the job perfectly.

[@ascentiall]

Imagine being professionally skilled musicians and incredibly attractive.

[@SpineShank7]

The strad stands out like crazy even to someone like me who doesn't have an ear for this at all. I couldn't tell any of the other instruments apart at all. lol

[@KraestBurns]

I'm really not surprised that she said the Kennedy sounded like the cheapest one. I got a $500 Kennedy violin a few years ago to replace a really cheap one I had that broke, and I wanted to treat myself to a much nicer instrument than the $120 student violin backup I had. My Kennedy violin basically lives in its case permanently because the cheap student violin honestly has much more richness and depth to it, while the Kennedy is basically "HEY DO YA LIKE TREBLE??" and can't be played without a mute on it.

[@roccoxxxx1]

I could tell the third violin was better even on my phone's crappy speakers, but the three flutes? No way

[@linsun9759]

Its not about whats in the case, its about whos behind the strings. -Dominic Paganini Toretto

[@aeyblues6274]

I'm a complete amateur in music but I'm surprised to get the violin right. The expensive one (third) sounds a bit different but in a good way, the second one sounds has that pitchy noise (sorry Idk how to explain). On the other hand the flute was complete mayhem. I was guessing 2 1 3, and then 2 3 1 at first (eyes closed), and then tried watching the video and saw like Jasmine's face was more strenuous on 2nd, so I thought 2nd gotta be the $69 for sure (3 1 2)! And then you mentioned about the clunkiness, on 2nd round, the 2nd one was very smooth, but yea I thought Jasmine was trying harder on that one, so... But then you changed your answer to 1 3 2, I was like "whyyyy??", and even more shocked to see the result. Bottom line, I liked the $10mil violin, but as for the flute, might as well go with $69 lol. Great job both of you. Amazing!

[@RobbieWallace-qg2yj]

Where did you get your violin 🎻?

[@joyirene_03]

Yay! Got the right answer for the violin 😂 mid-cheap-expensive just listening to it the fırst try 😊

[@___geo_rok__5123]

Which brahms music was played on the second round of violin?

[@user-eh8jv2em2o]

In the second round it is obvious that first flute has loud key tapping. So I guessed it's cheaper. Second is the cleanest, third had little bit of tapping noise. I am not flutist, curious is this key noise really the main difference between cheap and expensive flute? That's strange Second violin round / second violin sounded like orchestra to me lol. I was sure it is the strad. And I was sure first violin is the cheapest - thin, boxy. I'm very surprised.

[@rpjsq]

Interesting video! I was tricked by Choi. The violins are much more obvious to tell, but the flutes are really difficult.

[@ChatChroShorts]

i try usetonic it too slow and also the practice rooms are glitchy asf but i want it to work

[@user-tx2xo2tz1i]

As a non-musician, I correctly guessed the most expensive flute and all the violins. As for the violins, the Stradivarius really does stand out...

[@ieeerr.]

I got both right after the first listen. 😱

[@shannonmoro401]

Very nice.

[@TheVoitel]

Hm, with the flutes you can tell that the expensive one has a better response. But I would have put the others in different order, as the middle priced one did not intonate that well, and bad intonation is usually a thing with cheap and old wind instruments. With the violins it is very clear. The Stradivarius just has much more sound. Also the cheap one sounds exactly like you’d expect these cheap violins to sound: Like a plywood case with strings on. What you get there is essentially a very stiff top, which will result in low response of fundamentals, giving that tinny bodyless sound. Also that is the smallest cello I’ve seen for a while ...

[@Zeno019]

A small advantage to the just listeners apart of recorded audio or life audio we can hear as often as needed to get - any differences at all Hahahaha, no, really, it’s the player’s quality and means, better practicing time than consuming time for become satisfied..

[@darrenlikemyfatherbeforeme]

I guessed all of jasmine’s correct and yes I’m as flabbergasted as you

[@HEEHHOOH]

I got all 6 instruments correct. Lets go!

[@TiagoCotrim]

This is the best ad for the $69 flute!

[@teawithtams6596]

Jasmine can make a $1 flute sound like a million bucks

[@dmitryvazquez2819]

You know just for that, i already play violin, but im going to try out flute

[@paulrieker2046]

Ray can make a carpenter's saw sound great! I'll bet!

[@stringbean985]

Had no idea with the flutes, but I got the violins right. Then again I play violin so…