Why, oh why, does vinyl continue to blow away digital?
- Thread starter godofwealth
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Actually, we avoided the really loud stuff or cut it short. Nonetheless, my ears were bleeding at the end of the day on Saturday from all the emaciated screechiness.
As for playing loud, yesterday we listened quite loudly for a good while to a great system (PranaFidelity) at THE Show which from any source (vinyl, CD or tape) had a full-bodied, very dynamic sound with no edginess. It caused zero fatigue, and instead provided great listening engagement.
Quite a few other systems were very fatiguing at lower volume.
Quite a few other systems were very fatiguing at lower volume.
Its an acoustical illusion. Or more accurately: artefact: The very low freq rumble of a turntable causes a physiologic change which makes the cochlea more sensitive! LF stimulus draws the tectorial membrane closer to the outer hair cells, and inner hair cells.
At low frequencies, less than 250 hertz, the sensitivity of our hearing is poor because the inner hair cells of the cochlea are driven inadequately at low frequencies.
But interestingly, there is a way to increase the sensitivity of hearing, it seems. Exposure to low-frequency sound, on the order of 30 hz, sound level of 80 dB, can increase spontaneous otoacoustic emissions. This effect persists for about 2 minutes after the low frequency stops. This suggests that low frequency sound stimulation can prime the cochlea and increase the amplification process mediated by the outer hair cells. Low frequency sound stimulation results in more spontaneous OAEs - which means contractions of the outer hair cells and mechanical amplification of sound.
But interestingly, there is a way to increase the sensitivity of hearing, it seems. Exposure to low-frequency sound, on the order of 30 hz, sound level of 80 dB, can increase spontaneous otoacoustic emissions. This effect persists for about 2 minutes after the low frequency stops. This suggests that low frequency sound stimulation can prime the cochlea and increase the amplification process mediated by the outer hair cells. Low frequency sound stimulation results in more spontaneous OAEs - which means contractions of the outer hair cells and mechanical amplification of sound.
If that is a real issue and solution to the problem, surely a digital filter could be created to replicate that effect.
The Turntable Rumble can originate from the Centre bearing, drive pullies, or Belts.
As it turns out, turntable rumble is typically in the 10-30 Hz region. It seems that turn tables mechanics introduce an ultra low-frequency sound which is inaudible, but yet, we know that it can affect the active micro mechanics of the cochlea (as objectively measured by spontaneous OAE - otoacoustic emissions).
My hypothesis is that the LF rumble of vinyl turntables excites the ohc to contract, making the inner hair cells more attuned to sound, more frequency sensitive, and very literally potentiating and amplifying our perception of recorded music.
Blasphemy? Or fun stuff, this is my current line and I'm sticking with it: the theory that a noisy artifact from our turntables is in fact mechanically priming the ear to hear better.
As it turns out, turntable rumble is typically in the 10-30 Hz region. It seems that turn tables mechanics introduce an ultra low-frequency sound which is inaudible, but yet, we know that it can affect the active micro mechanics of the cochlea (as objectively measured by spontaneous OAE - otoacoustic emissions).
My hypothesis is that the LF rumble of vinyl turntables excites the ohc to contract, making the inner hair cells more attuned to sound, more frequency sensitive, and very literally potentiating and amplifying our perception of recorded music.
Blasphemy? Or fun stuff, this is my current line and I'm sticking with it: the theory that a noisy artifact from our turntables is in fact mechanically priming the ear to hear better.
Could be likely that industry and nefarios are already using this, I don't know.
Well, if there is something inherent in vinyl that makes you think it sounds better, what’s wrong with that? I think it has more to do with implementation and the fact that we live in an analog world.
It’s also not clear to me that turntables exhibit the same degree of rumble. My platter has no conventional bearing. It floats on a cushion of air and is attached to the motor by a very loose thread. Do you think those conditions create a similar issue of rumble that typical turntables with conventional bearings exhibit?
Nothing wrong with it, just my theory based on the evidence of the effects of LF on the cochlea. Any LF stim could probably give the same outcome, or perhaps there's another physical factor involved which makes the tt rumble a unique cochlear potentiator.
Not sure about tt variations but it appears to be an all or none phenomenon whereby the LF stimulus either meets the criteria to activate contractions of ohc, or doesn't.
Some of the rooms not providing shrill and emaciated sound:
-- Songer Audio: That room with field coil speakers played vocals with beautiful fullness and fluidity.
-- The room with Evolution Acoustics minimonitors
-- The room from Alma Audio with Boehnicke speakers
-- The TAD room had some recordings that sounded good
-- PranaFidelity: I mentioned that in my previous post
In some other rooms where the sound was not shrill and/or emaciated there was still some hardness or hi-fi-ness in the sound that I did not like. Maybe I'm becoming hyper-critical, and after all, it's just show conditions (with problems of power delivery, room acoustics and other issues).
Listening to a high resolution album from Chandos of Brahms famous horn trio. I’m always struck by what’s missing: no ambience, the sound seems flat and lacking harmonic richness. There is no smoothness in the midrange, it’s a glassy sounding violin. I’m likely to not listen to this recording again.
I did not care for that one either. very flat. no separation. not involving. but many streaming high rez classical files are really good.
If you want to hear the Brahms horn trio — one of his sublime masterpieces — in all its analog glory, you should listen to this great Decca recording. Of course, the performers are legends in their own right. Once again, vinyl triumphs.
Heck, I didn’t want to bring this up, but what the hell. Taylor Swift, the billion dollar pop sensation, releases a lot of vinyl records. Why? She could stick to streaming. One can argue it’s clever marketing. While I don’t particularly care for her music, there’s no denying her immense appeal to the youth who are buying millions of her vinyl albums.
www.nytimes.com
Taylor Swift Sells a Rainbow of Vinyl Albums. Fans Keep Buying Them.
Artists across pop genres are finding success with colored vinyl and different variants of their releases. For Swifties, the urge to collect them all is strong.
Yes, my daughter has 4 of her albums on vinyl.Heck, I didn’t want to bring this up, but what the hell. Taylor Swift, the billion dollar pop sensation, releases a lot of vinyl records. Why? She could stick to streaming. One can argue it’s clever marketing. While I don’t particularly care for her music, there’s no denying her immense appeal to the youth who are buying millions of her vinyl albums.
Taylor Swift Sells a Rainbow of Vinyl Albums. Fans Keep Buying Them.
Artists across pop genres are finding success with colored vinyl and different variants of their releases. For Swifties, the urge to collect them all is strong.
My nephew has LPs of artists he likes, and he does not listen to them (yet). I see no problem with that. Many people collect objects they like and don't "use". Some of these LPs have nice artwork/design.