The Quest for Perfect Sound: The Myth of the CD and the Miracle of the LP

[Ron Resnick]

Dear Caelin,

I am glad that you, too, liked the article. I had a strong feeling that many WBF members might not have read it in 1985. (I am also dating myself, of course!) I felt a bit like an archeologist unearthing the article for WBF.

I agree with everything you wrote. One of the fun things about our hobby (as well as about many aspects of human endeavor and progress) is that incremental progress can drive us to revise our definition, and our perception, of perfection.

 

[CGabriel]

Dear Caelin,

I am glad that you, too, liked the article. I had a strong feeling that many WBF members might not have read it in 1985. (I am also dating myself, of course!) I felt a bit like an archeologist unearthing the article for WBF.

I agree with everything you wrote. One of the fun things about our hobby (as well as about many aspects of human endeavor and progress) is that incremental progress can drive us to revise our definition, and our perception, of perfection.

I truly hope that people read the article even though it is quite long for our internet attention span.

 

[Bobvin]

Great read Ron, thanks for digging that up and sharing it. One of the pleasures I find in this hobby (reading about it) is the occassionally terrific prose from gifted writers. Unlike music, where we can hear (to varrying levels of fidelity) the intent of the musician, the writer must rely on descriptive phrasing, analogy and allegory, even parable, to get his point across. Some do it better than others. I read a couple bicycling blogs too, with gifted writers, whose turn of phrase often has me rolling on the floor laughing.

Your article, I find, shows even as time marches by, the quest for the 'truth' however one might define it (in terms of audio in this case) remains. The writer uses 'veils' where in another culture the analogy of the lotus would be equally understood.

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

Thanks for this voyage back into audio nostalgia. CD sound was rightly criticized in the 80's and 90's. I lived through that transition myself and I learned a great deal from it. But, today, I listen neither to LP or CD or in stereo, even, except on rare occasions.

Discovering discretely recorded, hi rez multichannel sound for classical music via SACD was easily the most transformative listening experience ever in my home audio system. It changed my home listening like nothing else by virtue of breaking a major barrier between me and the sound of the live concerts I frequently attend. It is simply based on a superior model of what we hear in the hall and how we hear it. It is the closest approach to Harry Pearson's ideal of the sound of live acoustic instruments in real space that I have found.

I have revisited vinyl, even in 6 figure systems from time to time since, and I just have to shrug my shoulders. It disappoints me in terms of reproduced realism. I understand and respect audiophiles who prefer vinyl or CD or stereo. I am in a distinct minority, I know. And, even in stereo, I hear no sonic advantage to pure analog vs. well done hi rez digital. In fact, I hear the opposite. So, there is no going back for me, unless I wish to have a sentimental reverie on things as they once were and how recordings sounded in the distant past.

 

[jeromelang]

Hm, the phone did have a bell in it. And that would act as a secondary resonant radiator. Oh, wait a minute - aren't we putting those things on the walls now along with our wooden blocks?

When the wire to the telephone is disconnected, the degratory effects on audio equipment will cease.
I've tried it so many times.
And the bloody phone is in another room....!!!??!

 

[Al M.]

Dear Al,

I am delighted you enjoyed the article! I love the article more for the ride-along with the author as his passion for high-end audio blossoms, and for the eloquent statements he makes about our hobby such as "The High End is partly a Romance, a quest for something beyond the reach of any equipment. That quest means using technology to overcome itself, making itself invisible at the very moment of its greatest achievement," rather than for the analog versus digital debate.

To answer your question I state at the outset that I am almost wholly unqualified to answer your question. Because I believe for music reproduction in the theoretical superiority of a continuous analog waveform over any rate of digital sampling of that waveform, I have chosen to stick my head in the sand with respect to digital progress. As a perfectionist I would rather spend my time reaching for small improvements in analog playback (i.e., striving to achieve perfection, even with the increasing burden of diminishing returns) rather than perfecting a system which I believe is theoretically inherently inferior no matter how good it gets.

While I have not yet found myself engaged emotionally by music reproduced even by high quality DSD, I do think that DSD sounds good (and I have never heard 2XDSD or 4XDSD). I am completely making up a number here but maybe good DSD gets me to 80% or 90% of the best analog in terms of sound quality. But no digital playback I have ever heard (and, again, I readily stipulate that I have not made any effort to seek out the best digital playback) establishes for me the emotional connection with music which analog creates for me.

Dear Ron,

thank you for your extensive reply. Personally, I enjoy very much the top level analog and its beautiful resolution that I hear in the systems of others. Yet on an emotional level I connect just as much with the CD playback in my system. Especially now that my acoustic problems are solved, see my systems thread,

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?17334-My-minimonitor-subwoofer-system

I am even more deeply addicted to the music that comes out my speakers. I noticed that you posted about a pleasurable experience with CD playback on the system of SpiritOfMusic. If you are ever in the Boston area you are cordially invited to listen to my system, just send me a PM.

Al

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you very much, Al. I am very happy that your system gives you so much joy!

 

[PeterA]

Dear Ron... If you are ever in the Boston area you are cordially invited to listen to my system, just send me a PM.

Al

And Ron, please don't forget to call me too. Al and I live only ten minutes apart. We could make a day of it. Between London and LA, you must think of Boston as a "flyover" region, but we would be happy to host a visit.

 

[Al M.]

And Ron, please don't forget to call me too. Al and I live only ten minutes apart. We could make a day of it. Between London and LA, you must think of Boston as a "flyover" region, but we would be happy to host a visit.

Oh yes, Ron, you would very much enjoy Peter's excellent all-analog system!

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you, Peter and Al. When my girlfriend and I are firmly re-ensconced in LA (in about a year) we definitely will make plans to visit you.

 

[Al M.]

Thank you, Peter and Al. When my girlfriend and I are firmly re-ensconced in LA (in about a year) we definitely will make plans to visit you.

Thank you Ron, we would enjoy your visit!

***

As for finding an emotional connection to digital reproduction, let me add that I agree with many that one of the main problems with it has been in the area of rhythm & timing. Digital, until recently, never had that effortless 'foot-tapping' quality that even moderate analog equipment is so good at, not to speak of top-level analog which excels even more. The aspect of rhythm & timing of course also encompasses more subtle aspects that are also touched upon in the article that you posted (page 36).

I personally have gone through 4 other CD players before I arrived at my current CD playback that finally also excels in the area of rhythm & timing. I believe that my digital now can rock and swing with the best turntables, and like these addresses those subtle issues of rhythmic fluency, also pertinent to classical music, very well.

You might enjoy this article in Stereophile on the topic by Martin Colloms. I believe it is one of the most important articles on audio reproduction ever written:

http://www.stereophile.com/reference/23/index.html

The article is from 1992, when this isssue was still very much at the forefront of problems with digital. I also fully agree with Peter van Willenswaard's assessment in this link:

http://www.stereophile.com/content/pace-rhythm-dynamics-one-listeners-lament

Al