This is an important point, I'd even turn this around and say that not favouring one style or another is how I determine when a system is transparent (or 'correct' in your terms). The transparent system gets out of the way so recordings sound like themselves, not like the system. The transparent system maximizes differences inherent between recordings.
What is the cause of PCM glare? Bad recording or Bad DAC? Anything banish it?
- Thread starter caesar
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This is an important point, I'd even turn this around and say that not favouring one style or another is how I determine when a system is transparent (or 'correct' in your terms). The transparent system gets out of the way so recordings sound like themselves, not like the system. The transparent system maximizes differences inherent between recordings.
I agree here. Transparency sounds a lot like you're listening to the process of creating the medium that is between you and the artists' live performance. And while it makes good albums better, I haven't found it to be bad for albums unless they're too compressed. There's a few I can only listen to the car, but they are no where near a majority.
i agree, though even my pop type compressed (dynamically compressed) stuff sounds ok on my hi fi. each album i have 'sounds' different, it has its signature of production if you like. that's transparent to me. still no glare, just different recordings. if something has a lot of HF info that's high on the dynamic range and very fast my room can get 'over loaded' acoustically but only if i play loud.
guns and roses albums sound crap on my hi fi but not because of the HF, they just seem thin and un engaging. its a shame as that's what i grew up listening too. its ok in the car as folsom points out.
I actually have "lies" and "Appetite for destruction" ripped from vinyl in 24/96 and they sound stunning. Much better than the CD's. Shoot me a email and I'll and let you borrow them.
Thanks mike will do, i think the goings on with Axl and everyone else is why they never re issued the CD's with a better mastering/transfer.
still crap but no glare. my MP3 sounds better than the CD's lol.
infact MP3 from my sony headset sound good all round imo. its not the hifi but...
still crap but no glare. my MP3 sounds better than the CD's lol.
infact MP3 from my sony headset sound good all round imo. its not the hifi but...
No doubt. The CD's are horrid. I'm still waiting for a good version of "The Wall". Best I've heard so far is my vinyl rip. The "experience edition" and "Immersion edition" are a joke IMO
pink floyd? i have a good version of 'the wall' on CD, it is fairly new. still your rip might be better but they have remastered (again) recently i believe.
Which version do you have? I remember back in the old days I liked my CBS version CD. But then my gear got better, and my standards went up. Yes the Experience and immersion editions are the recent remasters. And I'm not impressed. My DSD version of dark side is way better. But my Meddle vinyl rip is the best of my floyd.
i cant say its great mike but its the das boot 2011, james guthrie and joel plante.
only listened to it once or twice, not a big pink floyd fan.
still no glare.
only listened to it once or twice, not a big pink floyd fan.
still no glare.
It's not terrible, but not as good as it could be. Not like the Doobie Bro's Toulouse Street Mofi remaster in DSD. Pop that in the SACD tray and prepare to be stunned. Put on "Snake man" and be prepared for goosebumps.
http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/58025/The_Doobie_Brothers-Toulouse_Street-Hybrid_Stereo_SACD
Gentlemen,
Very interesting discussion. I'm not giving up some older, yet musically sublime recordings with glare so I can be a "loser audiophile".
For those who think it's in the recording, how are the engineers at Mobile Fidelity and Audio Fidelity, etc., able to get this "glare" out?
And I am with the folks on vinyl rips. I happen to believe that professionally done vinyl rips to 192/24, done on top notch equipment, is the best format that exists in audiophilia today. (Sorry vinyl guys, you don't realize how much microphonic noise your $100K turntable is playing through your "distortionless" Wilson or Magico!!! What a waste of money!!!!) Again, if it's the recording, why do the vinyl rips not have this "glare" but CDs do, when many have come from the same master tapes?
Very interesting discussion. I'm not giving up some older, yet musically sublime recordings with glare so I can be a "loser audiophile".
For those who think it's in the recording, how are the engineers at Mobile Fidelity and Audio Fidelity, etc., able to get this "glare" out?
And I am with the folks on vinyl rips. I happen to believe that professionally done vinyl rips to 192/24, done on top notch equipment, is the best format that exists in audiophilia today. (Sorry vinyl guys, you don't realize how much microphonic noise your $100K turntable is playing through your "distortionless" Wilson or Magico!!! What a waste of money!!!!) Again, if it's the recording, why do the vinyl rips not have this "glare" but CDs do, when many have come from the same master tapes?
Geardaddy,
Great point!!!!! in many cases, yes... in many cases, much improved... yet still....
Geardaddy,
Great point!!!!! in many cases, yes... in many cases, much improved... yet still....
At least you appreciated my funny (and the historical reference to a recent divisive thread). Good thread topic as usual Cesar.....
I agree with the first part of your statement 100%. The second part I am unsure and would be interested to hear some technobabble as to why that's true or not....
No longer banned eh? Stunning upsampled to DSD or au naturale? Any feedback on the PD2? I look forward to hearing it myself!
You will be removing any playback induced vibration but all the other distortions will be intact , and you still have to play the rip back through your 'distortionless' speakers.
Keith.
No free for now anyways. Everything is, unless you have a crappy DAC. PD2 sounds stunning!
Keith I have to agree with caesar, an excellent vinyl rip is the best digital there is or might I better say "that I have heard". Top rippers these days in conjunction with their record cleaning machines are using ultrasonic cleaning, record revirginizer or winyl record cleaner and together with proper post processing (ie: Izotope RX3 for recording, resampling and cleaning without tampering with the music so no equalization, noise reduction or normalization) the result leaves you with a sound that is more natural and open than any DSD I have heard to date. No clicks, no pops, no static, no groove noise, simply the wonderful sound vinyl offers with none of its drawbacks. The good thing is phenomenal results can be achieved without having a super expensive rig as Pbthal has proved time after time.
You don't have to give up on those recordings! IME the "bad guy" is that the nature of the recording excites the playback system to misbehave, you hearing "glare" as a result of the reproduction of that version not being pristine.
So, alter the mastering and playbacks can "handle" the material better, they sound cleaner. Or, vinyl rips - same story, they "stress" the audio rig less, for a better listening experience.
CDs deliver the message absolutely straight, and the slightest imperfection in the playback chain will be emphasised, you get "glare", lots of it. One solution is to "fix" the playback chain, the approach I use - result, no glare, on any CD ...
Yes they can be killer. You should hear my 24/94 rip of "Times they are a changin" by Bob Dylan. It's from a very rare early mono record that kills the master tape as it's worn out now. I'm listening to it now resampled to quad DSD and it's so much better than the recent mofi DSD 64 release that I deleted the mofi version off of my playlist.
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