Why CDs May Actually Sound Better Than Vinyl

[Steve williams]

with this thread taking a long course and with everyone expressing their thoughts I thought it would be interesting to post a private poll where no one's vote is revealed regarding their preference. So please everyone take time to vote and let's get an idea where this membership falls in terms of preference

 

[ddk]

Just listened to the MoFi Kind of Blue re-issue today and I have to admit that my early CD pressing is far superior in every way! In general I dislike most audiophile labels specially in 180 gram anything. The MoFi re-issue is one of the worst I've heard! Its dead, dead, dead, drained of all life! Everything is homogenized and drab with all instruments level match, horns have no bite and brass no sheen, more like flatulent men slowly passing gas than musicians! The CD on the other is wonderful!

david

 

[TBG]

Just listened to the MoFi Kind of Blue re-issue today and I have to admit that my early CD pressing is far superior in every way! In general I dislike most audiophile labels specially in 180 gram anything. The MoFi re-issue is one of the worst I've heard! Its dead, dead, dead, drained of all life! Everything is homogenized and drab with all instruments level match, horns have no bite and brass no sheen, more like flatulent men slowly passing gas than musicians! The CD on the other is wonderful!

david

I have at least 6 instances where I have the original issue and expensive reissues. In all cases the originals are superior. I must say, however, that 45rpms are great although a real pain as they are so short. I was even thinking of putting a digital copy on my music server with equalization done digitally afterwards. But now with Sony converting their master tapes into quad DSD I'm hoping to have access to such downloads.

 

[NorthStar]

This thread runs on Duracell batteries. The little rabbit drummer keeps drumming. :b Lol ...but it's cool...it's truly us.

- I voted that I like them both.

By the way, this morning I was @ HMV in Victoria looking @ their Blu-ray Music titles...Blu-ray Audio, and Blu-ray Video too.
I was talking with the manager, and she said that they are selling more albums on vinyl than in CDs! I was totally surprised.
She must have mistaken...

Anyway, the LPs are $25-30 for normal ones and $40-50 for remastered ones.
And they were out of stock on only one turntable that they carry...$119.99

The day before I was in London Drugs looking for an external hard drive, then I looked @ their LP prices...normal ones were $40 roughly...they look swell.
CDs are roughly half.

It seems to me that vinyl is high end, and CD is low end...if we go by price alone.
CDs are roughly from $8 to $22 ($12-15 avg), and LPs are from $25 to $55 roughly (40 avg).
Blu-rays are from $5 to $55 ($25-30 average, new releases, and more for 3D and UHD).

Some stuff I was looking for on SACD (not avail @ HMV store but on order online) was over $70! Because of the limited releases I guess.
They had some old BR titles for $5 each. The Criterion Collection BRs were all expensive. ...$40 average. ...Some more...like $60.

Also, some Blu-rays I bought for $35 six to twelve months ago were roughly half now. ...Or even less than half!

But one thing I tell ya; just holding an album full size (LP) in my hands was the best feeling of it all...it has that magic touch that no other format has. ...Unless an open-reel tape in a steel case.
For Blu-rays the best touch were the SteelBox ones of course. ...And some full package DigiBook ones. ...The Blu-ray Audio (the ones I came there for) were just too much money asking...$35-40.

That was interesting to see all the formats, analog and digital, music only and music/video, and the titles...old and new with all their prices...varies quite a bit.

And not long ago I was looking @ OLED and 4K TVs @ Best Buy...60 to 75" roughly.
I looked also @ the Samsung UHD BR player ($599 Cdn) and it was roughly weighting two pounds! ...Very cheaply made...no way I want that.

Walmart is the worst now for UHD BR prices and also for 3D Blu-rays. I didn't see any vinyl there...I think they should carry them for their all clientele.

Last, our Canadian loonie is worth seventy-one cents, that is truly pathetic, and particularly when you compare prices online between amazon.ca, amazon.com, bestbuy.ca, bestbuy.com, HMV Canada, walmart.ca and .com ... tra-la-la.

Sometimes I go to libraries, for books on science arts, and I also look @ their classical music on CDs. ...But when I asked for the vinyl (LP) section, they said none they have.
Those vinyls are abundant @ Salvation Army and thrift shop stores though. ...Not exactly in the best shapes and not exactly John Coltrane. ...They have CDs too, and DVDs and even VHS tapes. Used LPs are more affordable than CDs...another distinction that goes against the flow of newer brand new releases.

There are no gods from the heaven who dictate the music format prices; it's for each and everyone running their businesses and costs.

@ the end it's us who listen to all that stuff and with everything that comes with it...bad and good...and it goes from one format to another depending...of the recording itself and its condition. Best is to do our research first online, and then search for those items with value sound quality inside them. And for some of us prices are irrelevant, and for others there is some relevance.

All in all it's a fun music world we live in, and the more fun we have the easier to judge our music sound quality in acceptance and accommodation. ...I think, just another take.

* All the prices (Cdn) above; you have to add 12% more on top of them (Cdn tax).
So an item that is say $40, it'll cost you almost $45 total...so $5 more.

 

[NorthStar]

Deleted (double post) - computer glitch.

* Look @ this guy here @ amazon Canada ? https://www.amazon.ca/Wish-Were-Here-Pink-Floyd/dp/B0065MJ7RO

• https://www.amazon.ca/The-Wall-Gate..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=2VBQB3A65TA1DY8FR92X
• https://www.amazon.ca/The-Wall-2011..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=7HV9W50WFQ1NVMNDH681

• https://www.amazon.ca/Dark-Side-The-Moon-Vinyl/dp/B00008AWNY
• https://www.amazon.ca/Dark-Side-Moo..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=EMY0XFGFYFMX16FWSZ4Z

No doubt; vinyl analog LP is high end, and polycarbonate plastic digital CD is low end.

* WBF is a vinyl audiophile clientele, sparkled with knowledge on all things audio. This is no lo-end forum, it's a very hi-end forum people.

Cool read ? http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/LP-Record.html

 

[PeterA]

I like the idea of the poll and I voted, but my choice did not truly reflect my position. I think it is hard to cover all of the possibilities with only five choices.

I voted that I only have vinyl in my system. However, I can like both given the right circumstances. That was not a poll option. A friend has only digital, but he also likes both given the right circumstances. That might be why we often listen to each other's system.

Some audiophiles have chosen to concentrate on only one format because of cost and also because that is what their music collection is.

Yes, Bob, this thread has legs, just like that avatar of yours. It's not really all about the bass, is it.

 

[Rodney Gold]

Me too - I voted digital only , but that does not reflect that I ONLY like digital ...

 

[Al M.]

I like the idea of the poll and I voted, but my choice did not truly reflect my position. I think it is hard to cover all of the possibilities with only five choices.

I voted that I only have vinyl in my system. However, I can like both given the right circumstances. That was not a poll option. A friend has only digital, but he also likes both given the right circumstances. That might be why we often listen to each other's system.

Some audiophiles have chosen to concentrate on only one format because of cost and also because that is what their music collection is.

Me too - I voted digital only , but that does not reflect that I ONLY like digital ...

Precisely. I would suggest amending the poll and let those who have voted already, vote again -- or start all over, if that's easier.

 

[bonzo75]

Hi, I want to vote for I have, and prefer, only digital in my system but vinyl provides better sonics

 

[spiritofmusic]

I'm struggling to vote on this one, I like both formats for what they do. I enjoy vinyl more, but an awful lot of stuff I listen to is not on black disc. And digital has made more strides to sound much more palatable. But the changes that are significant in vinyl from time to time end up more radical than digital. So digital has made more ground in impressing me in the last decade, but vinyl still forces me to pay attention, and be in the moment. More so than digital ever will.

 

[Al M.]

Hi, I want to vote for I have, and prefer, only digital in my system but vinyl provides better sonics

How about adding 4 more choices:
1) I have digital only but also like great vinyl
2) I have digital only but prefer vinyl sonics in some instances
3) I have vinyl only but also like great digital
4) I have vinyl only but prefer digital sonics in some instances

 

[rbbert]

How about adding 4 more choices:
1) I have digital only but also like great vinyl
2) I have digital only but prefer vinyl sonics in some instances
3) I have vinyl only but also like great digital
4) I have vinyl only but prefer digital sonics in some instances

Yes, I also think this poll would be more useful with more choices

 

[TBG]

Had this poll been three years ago, I would have said that I strongly preferred vinyl. A little earlier than that I would have said tubes were the only way to go.

Since then I have heard native DSD and then double and quad DSD. I have also heard ripped cds where 44.1 is greatly kicked up getting the filters move well beyond what is audible. There are enormous benefits on cds that you will never hear just playing them. So now I can say that there is just more information on digital that are lost on vinyl. Bass is much more defined and top end greatly extended.

I will also say that other components play a big role in this assessment. My H-Cat amp allows a well defined extreme left to extreme right sound stage that makes symphonic orchestras have realism, such as clear definition about where the first violins are and where the timpani and percussion are. DSD from SACDs is better than from cds.

 

[Steve williams]

I reset the parameters of the poll for everyone

 

[Diapason]

It's not allowing me to vote again, Steve.

 

[Steve williams]

well I thought I reset the parameters but for some reason if you have already voted it won't allow you to change your vote

 

[Steve williams]

I think the only way is to start new thread with a different poll. Would you guys like me to do that or Al M would you like to start it

 

[microstrip]

How about adding 4 more choices:
1) I have digital only but also like great vinyl
2) I have digital only but prefer vinyl sonics in some instances
3) I have vinyl only but also like great digital
4) I have vinyl only but prefer digital sonics in some instances

We are a very small number of voters - if polls have a large number of choices the error bars become too large and the poll is worthless.

 

[Al M.]

I think the only way is to start new thread with a different poll. Would you guys like me to do that or Al M would you like to start it

Thanks, Steve. Can you please do it? I gotta run -- to a concert.

 

[TBG]

Steve, I have never really understood the purpose of polls. Do they cause the minority to switch their opinions or the majority to say "Ah, we've been right all along!"