Why CDs May Actually Sound Better Than Vinyl
- Thread starter Steve Williams
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That's why I tend to add "analog" when mentioning vinyl. Its not about LP vs CD as storage mediums but analog vs digital. Personally I don't see any point in a vinyl copy of a digital recording if and when both copies of are equal quality as well as the playback hardware. I always buy the CD.
david
Agreed, the illusion of reproduced music is a mostly constructed illusion - starting with the particular microphone configuration to be used through to the mastering desk decisions & recording engineering techniques. This is done for all sorts of commercial reasons & to appeal to the target demographic.
But not all recordings are so manipulated - some are more hands off - some, like Greisinger, have even done binaural recordings using in ear microphones & playback using in-ear headphones & reported that it was surprisingly realistic.
What I think is ultimately being judged in the playback is the believability of the sound being heard or more accurately a judgement of its adherence to our internal "grammar" of how sound should behave
But not all recordings are so manipulated - some are more hands off - some, like Greisinger, have even done binaural recordings using in ear microphones & playback using in-ear headphones & reported that it was surprisingly realistic.
What I think is ultimately being judged in the playback is the believability of the sound being heard or more accurately a judgement of its adherence to our internal "grammar" of how sound should behave
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The CD medium can make a difference as do various tape and vinyl formulations, unless really bad I don't think its a make or break thing. I have some of the original Mercurys not crazy about the CD versions, haven't tried the Lp reissues yet might be worth investigating. Other recent Decca releases have been quite decent.
david
+1
The competence of the recording and mastering engineers play a role in it all too.
david
The competence of the recording and mastering engineers play a role in it all too.
david
Vinyl used to have Quad recordings, and CD used to have dts 5.1 surround sound (remember those, I have some @ home).
So in the regular CD you can have dts 5.1 and then it's not only restricted to stereo.
You just need a player that can play dts CDs (most do), and a receiver or pre/pro with a dts decoder.
Of course that is if you have more than just a pair of stereo loudspeakers. But then, with Quad vinyl that was the same; you needed four speakers and a TT that can play those Quads (cartridge & headshell with six connectors?).
And a phono preamp with a Quad decoder, voila, I think. Because I never had any of those Quad decoders from yesteryear, in a receiver?
Is a Quad turntable different than a stereo turntable?
Anyway CDs are versatile too; stereo, and dts 5.1 ? https://www.gearslutz.com/board/mastering-forum/613076-surround-sound-normal-audio-cd.html
• BONUS: http://www.classicalcdreview.com/surround.htm
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I only mentioned this to expand on the CD versus vinyl conventional stereo sound. Just to add more versatility to the two music mediums we were born with, live to love, grew up with, still living with today.
Now, I have a question, a serious question, very.
If CD may actually sound better than vinyl, and that is still a "if" because ...; then why so much lovin' for the music format we love/ed so much when we were kids and that we still love today...what is the power of vinyl...what is the power of love?
It's a serious question because the importance that we attach to our music in life has no borders, no limits, no constraint.
It just don't matter if CD may actually sound better than vinyl; what does is the choice we make and the respect to the choices others make.
The true importance is life's happiness. And that, is each one of us own zone of comfort.
I looked @ the trees, @ the mountains, @ the lake in front and the ocean in back, I look @ the eagle atop the cedar tree in my front yard, @ the flowers blossoming everywhere, @ life on this beautiful environment of this beautiful planet, and the wind I can hear sounds magnificent, natural, accurate, without any distortion, full dynamic, and not only that but I also feel it in my hair, on my skin.
Of course I'm outside on my deck as I am typing this, and all is real. I just talked to my neighbor and we talked about life's importance and iTunes and iPods and Bose speakers that his beautiful daughter just gave him recently. And now he's back into painting with the door of his studio wide open and the smell of the flowers impregnating him all around his soul.
So in the regular CD you can have dts 5.1 and then it's not only restricted to stereo.
You just need a player that can play dts CDs (most do), and a receiver or pre/pro with a dts decoder.
Of course that is if you have more than just a pair of stereo loudspeakers. But then, with Quad vinyl that was the same; you needed four speakers and a TT that can play those Quads (cartridge & headshell with six connectors?).
And a phono preamp with a Quad decoder, voila, I think. Because I never had any of those Quad decoders from yesteryear, in a receiver?
Is a Quad turntable different than a stereo turntable?
Anyway CDs are versatile too; stereo, and dts 5.1 ? https://www.gearslutz.com/board/mastering-forum/613076-surround-sound-normal-audio-cd.html
• BONUS: http://www.classicalcdreview.com/surround.htm
_______
I only mentioned this to expand on the CD versus vinyl conventional stereo sound. Just to add more versatility to the two music mediums we were born with, live to love, grew up with, still living with today.
Now, I have a question, a serious question, very.
If CD may actually sound better than vinyl, and that is still a "if" because ...; then why so much lovin' for the music format we love/ed so much when we were kids and that we still love today...what is the power of vinyl...what is the power of love?
It's a serious question because the importance that we attach to our music in life has no borders, no limits, no constraint.
It just don't matter if CD may actually sound better than vinyl; what does is the choice we make and the respect to the choices others make.
The true importance is life's happiness. And that, is each one of us own zone of comfort.
I looked @ the trees, @ the mountains, @ the lake in front and the ocean in back, I look @ the eagle atop the cedar tree in my front yard, @ the flowers blossoming everywhere, @ life on this beautiful environment of this beautiful planet, and the wind I can hear sounds magnificent, natural, accurate, without any distortion, full dynamic, and not only that but I also feel it in my hair, on my skin.
Of course I'm outside on my deck as I am typing this, and all is real. I just talked to my neighbor and we talked about life's importance and iTunes and iPods and Bose speakers that his beautiful daughter just gave him recently. And now he's back into painting with the door of his studio wide open and the smell of the flowers impregnating him all around his soul.
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What I listed for Ron are the only ones I can recommend from direct experience Bob. I've only heard the ones you mention casually around, no way to formulate any opinion.
david
Sorry you took offense. Thought it was a legitimate question.
Mind my own business? I trust the mods will tell me when I am out of line.
Have a nice day dude and enjoy your weekend, peace
!david
I don't actually. I hear the distortions in analog and they completely take me out of the experience. Don't need the graphs. I am a victim of my mind always searching for distortions. An occupational hazard of my last corporate job. In the occasions when analog doesn't have these distortions, I enjoy it tremendously as I do with other platforms bringing music that I love to my ear.
So why post the graphs then & the comment referring to them "You can clearly see the superiority of digital."?
I agree. I contacted the the reporter and he said it was a toss up between the above image and this one:
He said this one was too cheesy so he went the one you post.
I thought it would be easier to interpret than in the MRI of my brain. Do you hear artifacts in analog John?
If what you wanted to say was that you could hear distortions in analog then maybe a graph with music as the test signal showing those distortions in analog Vs CD may have supported your claim?
Do you hear analog distortions John? Because if you do then I don't have to explain it. Do you?
I am going to an audiologist soon. When there I am going to ask him for some wax that I can stuff in my ears prior to turning on my turntable from 1980s which I still have (Technics linear tracking). Something tells me I will still hear the distortions but I figured it is worth a try. What brand of wax do you use David and how much do you load up on it in your ears?
The explanation for your graph & your statement that "You can clearly see the superiority of digital." which you subsequently withdrew has nothing to do with whether I can hear an ant fart at 20 paces or not.
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Good David. I mainly mentioned few more to expand the choice of digital CD players...other fair contenders.
Just like we have a multitude of options with turntables, tonearms, cartridges, phono preamps, vinyl washing machines, stylus shapes, brushes, oil lubricant, stylus cleaner, absorbing and isolating TT platforms, adjustable speed (78, 45, 33), anti-skating, weight, and many more fun rituals and stuff we can adjust on our TTs and carts.
Just like with CD players and choice of upsampling frequencies, dither adjust in some, phase adjust depending of the recordings, HDCD decoding, SACD playback, multichannel surround playback, preamp mode, volume control, etc.
Accuphase makes top products that can get some of the best sound from your CDs. And TEAC DACs are very affordable and popular with many and they also make some of the best CD transports among Marantz.
Esoteric...good reports too. Luxman...Japan.
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